Education News: April 2, 2010

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending April 2, 2010.

National Reading Scores Disappointing

Delaware and Tennessee Win Grants
(New York Times, March 30th) Delaware and Tennessee have been selected to be the first round recipients of the Race to the Top education grants. The two states beat out 38 other applicants and have been praised for their education overhaul efforts. Of the $4 billion allocated for the grants, $600 million will be given to the two states education programs, $100 million to Delaware and $500 million to Tennessee. The remaining grant money will be awarded to Race to the Top’s second round applicants.

New York Governor Delays Funding
(New York Times, March 31st) New York Governor David Paterson has delayed the payment of $2.1 billion in funding to state school districts. The announcement was made after the state Legislature failed to agree on a budget plan for the fiscal year. Paterson emphasized that without a budget plan, such spending would hinder the state’s chances to finish the year with a balanced budget.

Los Angeles to Cut School Year Short
(Los Angeles Times, March 28th) The Los Angeles school district has proposed to cut five days from this school year and seven from next year. If approved by the teachers’ unions, the move would save the district about $140 million. The money that is saved will help to preserve thousands of jobs and narrow the city’s $640 million deficit.

Colorado Considers Withdrawing From Race to the Top
(Denver Post, April 1st) After the first round winners of the Race to the Top program were announced earlier this week, many states began working to reapply for the competition’s second round deadline. Yet, despite being a grant finalist, Colorado officials are apprehensive to continue their pursuit of federal funding. Officials say that the limited support received by teachers’ unions will make it difficult to increase state eligibility.

Enrollment Declines as New York Spends
(New York Times, March 30th) A recent study has shown that despite the decline in public school enrollment, New York has increased school hiring. The hiring’s come amidst state economic struggles as powerful lobbyist work to delay expected budget cuts. The report was released one day after the state Legislature approved a program to encourage teachers to retire early. The Legislature hopes that early retirement will help to limit future job cuts.