Rep. Marsh praises Tennessee's winning "Race to the Top" funds
30-Mar-2010 106th General Assembly
State of Tennessee
Contact: Kara Watkins (615) 741-1975
kara.watkins@capitol.tn.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rep. Marsh praises Tennessee’s winning
“Race to the Top” funds
(March 30, 2010, NASHVILLE) - Tennessee was one of two states chosen yesterday as winners for federal “Race for the Top” funds. Tennessee will receive approximately $500 million and Delaware $100 million to implement their comprehensive school reform plans over the next four years. Representative Pat Marsh (R-Shelbyville) said today that Tennessee has a bold plan that will improve public education in the state of Tennessee.
Tennessee and Delaware beat out 14 other finalists who qualified to win the first round in the competition, after applicants were initially received from 40 states and the District of Columbia.
“This is great news for Tennessee," said Rep. Marsh. “I am very proud Tennessee was able to put forth a plan that was bold and innovative, and one that will have a direct, positive effect on Tennessee students. These reforms will ensure Tennessee students are prepared for success in an increasingly global marketplace.”
“We received many strong proposals from states all across America, but two applications stood out above all others: Delaware and Tennessee,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Anne Duncan in announcing the winners. “Both states have statewide buy-in for comprehensive plans to reform their schools. They have written new laws to support their policies. And they have demonstrated the courage, capacity, and commitment to turn their ideas into practices that can improve outcomes for students.”
The premise of the Race to the Top Competition is to reward states that show the greatest willingness to push innovative ideas to improve student achievement through greater testing standards, improved data collection and better teacher training. Tennessee met all that criteria, especially in the area of data collection as the state has the oldest and most robust student achievement data system in the nation.
The U.S. Department of Education will have about $3.4 billion available for the second phase of the Race to the Top competition.
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