No, DCPS did NOT win "Race to the Top". OSSE did. Which means the DC Charters did.

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082403075.html?hpid=newswell

DCPS & Fenty & Michelle might like to take credit, but what made the case so compelling was the participation of so many high quality charter schools. You can thank KIPP, CAPS, DC Prep, E.L. Haynes, Cap City, Maya Angelou, LAMB, Yu Ying, Washington Latin, Appletree, Bridges, 2 Rivers, Elsie Stokes, DC Bilingual, and countless others for the powerful, living & thriving case studies of why the Race to the Top fund should be poured into innovative (i.e. charter-rich) districts.

Good win OSSE! DCPS is lucky it got to coast on the reputation of DC Charter Schools for this award! Hooray!

[Anonymous]

Watch how fast Fenty & Rhee try to grab the spotlight. As though DCPS was the innovative programming factor in the OSSE application.

[Anonymous]

Way to go charter schools! Thanks for bringing home the $$ for all our kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
DCPS & Fenty & Michelle might like to take credit, but what made the case so compelling was the participation of so many high quality charter schools.

Evidence? I ask because the article you cited doesn't make this claim.

[Anonymous]

DCPS staff wrote most of the application and the funding will benefit DCPS and charters.

And like it or not, the Dept. of Ed LOVES Fenty/Rhee and the reforms happening in DC - that is why DCPS won.

[Anonymous]

DCPS DID NOT write the application. The Mayor's office hired a consultant to write it. The consultants worked with people from DCPS and the Charters. OSSE played a very small role.

[Anonymous]

OSSE's name is on the grant because it's a competition among state departments of education, not among school districts. And the competition isn't over who has the best schools, it's over which states are most willing/able to adopt certain policies (e.g. teacher pay tied to student test scores) that the current leadership of the US DOE favors.

So basically it's an ideological litmus test tied to a bribe.

Given that Rhee's ideology is close to Duncan's anyway, it's nice to have the extra $$, but this award doesn't represent some major achievement on DCPS's (or the charter schools') part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the Dept. of Ed LOVES Fenty/Rhee and the reforms happening in DC - that is why DCPS won.

Did Dept Ed not love F/R during the last round?

Does Dept Ed LOVE all the many governors and superintendents who won across the country, or just F/R?

[Anonymous]

Nice! Deranged Rhee-hatin' at it's finest.

Meanwhile, as PP @ 8:56 pointed out, Sec of Education Duncan is a *huge* Fenty/Rhee fan. I disagree with the characterization of "an ideoogical litmus test"--rather candidates were evaluated on the basis of current educational best practices.

But in any case, it demonstrates that nationally, and on a bipartisan basis, the "Rheeforms" that are being carried out are pretty much non-controversial.

There are some deeply entrenched interests that are threatened, but that's always the way with fundamental change for the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the Dept. of Ed LOVES Fenty/Rhee and the reforms happening in DC - that is why DCPS won.

Did Dept Ed not love F/R during the last round?

Does Dept Ed LOVE all the many governors and superintendents who won across the country, or just F/R?

Yes DC got rejected the first round - but were given a chance to make adjustments for a second shot. I don't care if DOE loves other governors and supers - and for the record there is some upset feelings over the fact that there were few winners west of the MS river. My point is that getting this grant is a nod to what Fenty and Rhee have done so far in DC and this aligns with the thinking of the administration (firing teachers, pay for performance, mayoral control, etc.). Despite what we lowly residents think about the reforms, this gives Fenty/Rhee a boost.

[Anonymous]

Unless the "best practice" designation is based on actual experience yielding results that are consistently superior to alternative practices, it's just a label attached to an ideologically-driven wishlist.

And the controversial nature of the reforms is attested to by the need to offer the bribe. Apparently the sticks weren't working they way the feds hoped, so they're breaking out the carrots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless the "best practice" designation is based on actual experience yielding results that are consistently superior to alternative practices, it's just a label attached to an ideologically-driven wishlist.

Right. Because the status-quo has worked out so well over the last 50 years or so.

And the controversial nature of the reforms is attested to by the need to offer the bribe. Apparently the sticks weren't working they way the feds hoped, so they're breaking out the carrots.

Yep, "carrot & stick". With the new WTU contract, DCPS can fire bad teachers, support staff, and administrators. It also means they can pay the best teachers top wages.

This stuff is completely non-controversial except to folks who don't like being held accountable for the quality of their work. Good news all around.

Change is tough; thank goodness many of the pieces are in place to force it through.

[Anonymous]

Doing nothing vs. doing something stupid aren't the only choices. It's only people who are advocating doing something stupid who feel compelled to suggest otherwise.

Interesting that Obama didn't send his kids to a school that uses these supposed best practices.

[Anonymous]

Good point about Obama and on another note, it is also very interesting that both Rhee and Fenty's kids attend out of bound schools. Why? Because they only care about certain parts of the city. Sad but so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: basically it's an ideological litmus test tied to a bribe. quote]

well said