(From The Daily News, March 31, 2010)
By MEREDITH KOLODNER
New York City schools may have a better shot at grabbing millions of dollars in Race to the Top federal cash if they go it alone and abandon the rest of the state.
In a big embarrassment, the state came in 15th out of 16 Monday in an ultracompetitive battle for $700 million to turn its low-performing schools around.
State officials are trying to boost their chances for a second round in June – but the city already has its eye on submitting its own separate bid in a possible third round.
The third round – which still needs congressional approval – is worth $1.35 billion.
“If it means more money for our kids, we would apply,” said Deputy Chancellor John White.
A separate application could be lucrative for city schoolkids, experts said.
“The Obama administration has looked very favorably on the kinds of reforms that [Chancellor] Joel Klein has implemented in New York City,” said Michael Rebell, professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College.
“That is probably not true of many other districts in New York State.”
States battling each other for the Race to the Top money were awarded points by judges based on different achievements and policies. New York came in 15th of 16 applicants.
About 35 points separated New York and Tennessee, which was awarded $500 million on Monday.
New York lost almost half of those points because it does not have a state system to track student performance. But the city’s system was called a “model” and “impressive” by federal reviewers.
The state also lost points for not being welcoming enough to charter schools, while the city has given charters space in public buildings and construction cash.
“This contest is almost tailor-made for Los Angeles and New York City to apply,” said Joe Williams of Democrats for Education Reform.
He cautioned that relations with the city teachers’ union could doom the city’s application.
The contest put significant emphasis on having all the state’s educators and administrators onboard. The city teachers union did not back the state application.
“The relationship between the [Education Department] and educators is probably the Achilles heel,” said United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.
The state’s intention to use federal dollars for luxury furniture – including $550 chairs and $3,000 desks – also drew rebuke from reviewers, prompting one to question the state’s “judgment on responsible stewardship of funds.”
The state could have gone cheaper. Vendor CorCraft has desk chairs starting at $210 and L-shaped desks for $523.
“Is this the equivalent of the Pentagon ordering $500 toilet seats?” Susan Lerner of Common Cause said Wednesday. “It’s exactly what people point to as inefficient, top-heavy bureaucracy.”
State Education Commissioner David Steiner promised to fix the office furniture blunder in the next round.