Race to the Top Update

The deadline for school districts and charter schools to sign on to New Jersey’s Race to the Top (RTTT) application has been extended until 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 27.

The federal Race to the Top grant competition could bring up to $400 million over four years to New Jersey schools. Applications are judged in part by how much support a state’s application has from education stakeholders. A signed “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) is considered a signal that the stakeholder is committed to carrying out the reforms described in the proposal.  The memorandum allots space for signatures from the district’s superintendent, board president and head of the teachers union. Not all three signatures are required, although having all signatures is considered a way to strengthen an application. Districts should fax the signed MOU and Exhibit I (with superintendent’s signature) to (609) 216-7974 by the end of the day on Thursday.

Last week, the New Jersey Department of Education promised that any district signing on was guaranteed to receive at least $100,000 in aid should the state win funding. As of May 25, the DOE had received 292 signed copies of the MOU from districts and charter schools. More than 350 signed on to New Jersey’s unsuccessful first round application in January.  

Legislative Support  Last Thursday, the Assembly and Senate unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 102, a measure that expresses support for New Jersey’s application in the federal grant competition.

NJSBA Supports On May 18, NJSBA submitted a letter to Education Commissioner Bret Schundler strongly endorsing the state’s application. “The proposals reflected in the round two application would expand on the innovative strategies contained in the state’s initial application and would serve to open doors to educational opportunity for disadvantaged students, advance student achievement by providing additional teacher compensation based on classroom performance, build an accurate and useful database of student achievement, and give local school officials the ability to retain the best teachers by making needed changes in the state’s tenure and seniority system,” wrote Marie S. Bilik, NJSBA executive director. NJSBA has posted on its website the full text of the letter.
Applications for the Race to the Top competitive grants are due June 1. Information about the state’s application can be found on the state Department of Education’s website.

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