By Michele McNeil
(From Education Week, October 21, 2011)
During a Race to the Top forum hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today, some well-known education policy wonks got especially tough with Race to the Top states.
If the 12 winners don’t show improvement in student achievement in Year 2 (which would be next year at the latest), “Shame on them,” declared former Louisiana schools chief Paul Pastorek, whose state was considered a favorite to win to Race to the Top last year, but ultimately lost.
And Charlie Barone, of the Democrats for Education Reform, said the U.S. Department of Education needs to start asking for taxpayers’ money back next year because it’s already “clear” which states are serious about their reforms and which aren’t. (He didn’t name names, although several others later beat up on Hawaii.)
Read the full post here.