Here's another piece on the Palm Beach County School Board's decision to try for the RTTT grant

Read the entire piece and post a comment on sun-sentinel.com.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beac...0,7883938.story

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School Board votes to join 'Race to the Top' for grant money

As much as $20.8 million at stake, but members say there is 'no way' teachers will approve it

By Marc Freeman, Staff writer

January 6, 2010

Palm Beach County schools are joining the federal Race to the Top funding sweepstakes.

The School Board on Wednesday voted 6-0, with Chairman Monroe Benaim absent, to support the state Department of Education's pending application for a $700 million award through the $4.35 billion competition.

It could wind up being a $20.8 million payout for local education — but board members say they're somewhat leery of strings that could be attached. They noted that teachers unions oppose the state's intention to tie teacher pay to student performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

"There's no way it is ever going to work," said board member Frank Barbieri, who added that he voted for it because the district can't be penalized later if the effort falls through.

Superintendent Art Johnson said he doesn't expect the county Classroom Teachers Association to join the district by a Tuesday deadline to send paperwork to the state.

"I don't think they're going to sign it," Johnson said. He also presented a national Gallup poll finding that the public overwhelming supports linking teacher salaries to student achievement.

The Florida Education Association has criticized the state's proposal. Leading state House Democrats also want it to be revised because they said it would "use the FCAT as the 'primary factor' in determining such important matters as compensation for teachers, evaluations for teachers and principals, financial and other incentives for school employees, teacher tenure, and the circumstances in which an ineffective teacher can be terminated."

But State Education Commissioner Eric Smith has said the Race to the Top program will enable the state to "attract, retain and support top-notch teachers and school leaders who will, in turn, improve student achievement in our schools." ...

"We need to get our own house in order before we accept mandates from Tallahassee and Washington," Barbieri said, alluding to the recent controversy over the district's academic initiatives. "It's another one-size-fits-all plan."