Updates on the Race: 01-15-2010

Round-one applications are due on January 19, 2010...

CALIFORNIA
Bay Area schools are Racing to the Top (Contra Costa Times)

ILLINOIS
70 percent of districts on board (Peoria Journal Star)

IOWA
RttT bills on the Legislature's agenda today (Des Moines Register Iowa Politics blog)

Seven largest school districts oppose Governor's plans (Des Moines Register)

KENTUCKY
Governor signs low-performing schools bill (Louisville Courier-Journal)

MASSACHUSETTS
Sweeping education bill passes legislature (Boston Globe)

NEW YORK
Unions opposing charter cap lift (New York Post)

RHODE ISLAND
No agreement between state, teachers' unions (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Bill advances in House, headed for Senate vote (The Tennessean)

TEXAS
Editorial: Governor Perry is all 'rhetoric' (Houston Chronicle)

Op-ed: Perry's 'smokescreen' (The Dallas Morning News blog)

UTAH
Three fourths of school districts on board (The Salt Lake Tribune)

WASHINGTON
Governor's reform plan detailed (ABC News)

Editorial: Reforms needed to win round 2 (The Spokesman-Review)

Updates on the Race: 01-14-2010

COLORADO
RttT bill is fast-tracked (Denver Post)

CONNECTICUT
75 school districts on board (New Haven Register)

ILLINOIS
Legislation revamps teacher evaluations; governor's signature expected (The State Journal-Register)

INDIANA
93% of school districts join Race (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)

IOWA
Senate approves RttT bill (Des Moines Register)

KENTUCKY
Governor signs low-performing schools bill (Louisville Courier-Journal)

MASSACHUSETTS
School bill ready for final vote (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
State teacher's union won't sign onto application (The Detroit News)

MINNESOTA
Over 250 districts, charter schools on board (Star News)

NEBRASKA
Governor: State's $122 million application includes 'Virtual High School' (Omaha World-Herald)

OREGON
112 school districts on board (Statesman Journal)

PENNSYLVANIA
Requiring local school board and union sign-off (Education Week Teacher Beat)

Editorial: Flexibility should accompany call for innovation (Harrisburg Patriot-News)

RHODE ISLAND
State, teachers union still at 'loggerheads' (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Teacher evaluation bill clears latest hurdle (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

TEXAS
Governor Perry plays 'local control', 'Texas first' cards; rejects Race to the Top (Dallas News)

WEST VIRGINIA
Governor will call for special session if state fails in first round (Business Week)

WISCONSIN
Mayor/gubernatorial candidate offers compromise on mayoral control (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Updates on the Race: 01-13-2010

NATIONAL
AFT chief vows to revise teacher-dismissal process (Education Week)

Strong applications versus stakeholder support? (Flypaper)

RttT fire drills ignore the fact that 52% 0f state application is based on PAST reform and achievement (Eduflack)

ALABAMA
Governor Riley links charters, Race chances (Dothan Eagle)

FLORIDA
53 of 67 school districts on board; only 5 with union backing (Orlando Sentinel School Zone blog)

GEORGIA
Governor Purdue pitches performance pay (Atlanta Journal Constitution blog)

ILLINOIS
Bill to strengthen educator evaluations passes state House (The State Journal-Register)

IOWA
Legislation needed to boost state's competitiveness (Des Moines Register)

Governor Culver presses for RttT legislation in State of the State (Des Moines Register blog)

Bill passes first legislative hurdle (Des Moines Register blog)

KENTUCKY
House passes low-performing schools bill (Louisville Courier-Journal)

LOUISIANA
State board endorses application (The Advocate)

MASSACHUSETTS
Editorial: Hold firm on education reform (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
State Board of Education uneasy about application (The Detroit News)

NEW YORK
Legislative action needed (Albany Times Union blog)

Editorial: The governor's desperate dash (Albany Times Union)

Lawmakers will vote on charter cap the day application is due (New York Daily News Daily Politics blog)

OHIO
Less than half of state districts sign on; union support expected (The Columbus Dispatch)

PENNSYLVANIA
Philly teachers support Race (Philadelphia Inquirer)

RHODE ISLAND
Lack of union support could weaken state's chances (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Governor Bredesen unveils legislative plan (The Leaf Chronicle)

Governor Bredesen: "Seize the day" (Education Week via Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Governor, teachers reach compromise on teacher evaluations (The Commercial Appeal)

Union approves teacher evaluation based half on student achievement (Nashville Public Radio)

TEXAS
Out of Race (Austin American-Statesman blog)

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Children's Zone a state focus (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Updates on the Race: 01-11-2010

Playing catch up following the holidays and the birth of our second child ... here are the major Race to the Top updates a week before round 1 applications are due on January 19th...

NATIONAL
39 States and DC to apply in round one (U.S. Department of Education)

'Race To Top' Viewed as Template for a New ESEA (Education Week)

'Race To Top' Driving Policy Action Across States (Education Week)

Two State Unions Balking at 'Race To Top' Plans (Education Week)

CALIFORNIA
Assembly passes reform bill (Sacramento Bee)

Governor signs bill to improve state eligibility in Race; opposed by teachers' unions (Los Angeles Times)

Governor seeks to ease teacher firings (Los Angeles Times)

COLORADO
Summary of state plan (INDenver Times)

FLORIDA
Unions: State RttT plan is 'fatally flawed' (Orlando Sentinel)

Editorial: Unions must not walk (Miami Herald)

Editorial: Racing to the top (Orlando Sentinel)

ILLINOIS
Editorial: State legislature to be asked to pass teacher evaluation bill (Chicago Tribune)

KENTUCKY
State to be first to adopt new national academic standards (Lexington Herald-Leader)

LOUISIANA
Less than half of school district sign onto plan (New Orleans Times Picayune)

MASSACHUSETTS
House passes reform bill, would empower superintendents (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
Governor Signs Reform Legislation (AP)

MEA, AFT Leaders Told Their Support Isn't Needed (The Grand Rapids Press)

89 Percent of State Schools on Board (The Detroit News)

NEVADA
Governor proposes ban on collective bargaining, repeal of data firewall law (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

NEW JERSEY
Out-going, in-coming governors complicate state application (Eduflack)

Editorial: Race to the bottom (Bergen Record)

NEW YORK
Governor presses for education reforms, including lift of charter cap (New York Times)

City wants state charter cap lifted before signing onto RttT application (Gotham Schools)

OHIO
State seeks to avoid union controversy? (Flypaper via Teacher Beat)

RHODE ISLAND
Teachers unions balking at supporting application (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Teachers' unions sign onto plan to tie student test scores to teacher evaluations (The Commercial Appeal)

Governor's education bills to be consider during special legislative session (The Tennessean In Session blog)

Special session on Race to the Top begins tomorrow (Memphis Daily News)

UTAH
Plan unveiled (The Salt Lake Tribune)

WISCONSIN
State lagging in Race to the Top (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

State seeks $254 million; application won't address mayoral control in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

WYOMING
State finalizes application (Casper Star-Tribune)

Now is the time to help build a new education system

We will open alternative learning places (ALPs) around the country in september 2011. We have begun to build the engineering ALP first grade curriculum. At this moment the web site is up but crude (www.alternativelearningplace.com). Soon it will be better organized. Anyone who wants to help should contact me. We need help from people who want to set one up in their city or town. And, we need help from those who want to help us build the curriculum. Many people have volunteered their time already. The more the better.

The Newest Optimist

Happy New Year!

Liam and I are taking a bit of a break from blogging to spend time with the newest Education Optimist-- Annie Lucille Rae Goldrick! Annie joined our family on January 2, 2010, and is already a vigorous contender for the title of newest blogger in the family. She is a strong girl (weighing in at nearly 8 1/2 pounds) and has plenty to say on nearly every topic.

Expect us to return in a week or two...in the meantime, enjoy life! We sure are.

Sara