TRENTON — New Jersey’s second attempt to win up to $400 million for education reform through the federal Race to the Top competition will have the support of at least 290 school districts, but it remains unclear if the state’s largest teachers unions will sign on. The state Department of Education released figures today showing 292 "local educational agencies,"...
As of Monday afternoon, 171 districts had signed up to participate in the second round of the "Race to the Top" federal grant.
TRENTON — New Jersey’s second attempt to win up to $400 million for education reform through the federal Race to the Top competition will have the support of at least 290 school districts, but it remains unclear if the state’s largest teachers unions will sign on.
The state Department of Education released figures today showing 292 "local educational agencies," which include school districts and charter schools, endorsed the application for the competitive grant program, which provides money for innovative educational improvement. There are about 600 school districts statewide.
The state’s application includes a provision for teacher merit pay based on student achievement.
Last week, Deputy Education Commissioner Willa Spicer guaranteed a minimum of $100,000 to participating districts if the state’s grant application is accepted.
"We are nowhere near our final number," education department spokesman Alan Guenther said. "We expect to continue to receive (memorandums) throughout the week."
The state’s first Race to the Top application, filed in January, included 378 districts. New Jersey did not win funds in the first round.
The federal competition rewards states for ambitious but often controversial education reforms. Along with teacher merit pay, New Jersey’s application proposes changes in tenure, evaluation systems that rely on student learning, a statewide data system to track student progress and plans to turn around or close failing schools.
The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union, recommended local unions not join the first application. NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer said today the union is still talking with the Christie administration about this application.
In at least one participating district, Somerville, the district superintendent said the teacher’s union did not sign on.
In cash-strapped districts — still reeling from an $820 million cut to state school aid this year — many officials said money was the chief reason they signed on.
"Every district could use this money. We’ve cut over $16 million in the last three years here. Any additional funding we could get is very helpful," Phillipsburg Superintendent Mark Miller said.
Miller said he also thought some of the reform ideas — including merit pay and changing tenure rules — were interesting.
"In this business, if you don’t take a risk, you’re not going to succeed," he said.
Staff writer Kristen Alloway contributed to this report.