The Observation Deck

Dear Fellow Observers,

I see from reviewing the LO Deck that several of you have been inquiring as to why the Lakewood City Schools did not participate in “Race to the Top.”

One of the reasons the Lakewood City Schools has been so successful over the years is our focus on the most important work for accomplishing our educational mission with Lakewood’s students. Make no mistake that we have been and are more than willing to get involved with whatever it takes to get federal funding to benefit our students, help with our educational mission, and keep costs down. For example, this year Title I services have been expanded in all our elementary schools and extended to Lincoln.

After careful consideration, the Lakewood City Schools chose not to get involved in “Race to the Top” for the following reasons:

1. “Race to the Top” is a reform effort. Its intent is to throw out everything and do things differently. Given all the efforts in recent years that resulted in achieving our “Excellent” rating, the Lakewood City Schools does not think that this approach is appropriate for Lakewood. We know that there are things we need to do better. We need to continually improve. But, we do not need reform to the extent federally mandated by “Race to the Top.”

2. In the short time frame available for making the decision to participate in “Race to the Top,” it was impossible to determine if the funding Lakewood would receive would be adequate to meeting the responsibilities and expectations of participating in this program.

3. The approach mandated by “Race to the Top” was: jump on board, you will get money, the federal government will tell you more of what you have to do later, and the federal government promises that you will like it … whatever the “it” is.

4. While many school districts in the area applied for the program, not all did, and each has to determine whether it made sense for their district. In essence, “Race to the Top” is designed to find innovative ways to turn around failing schools or districts. While every school, including ours, can be improved, the changes that make sense for some schools do not necessarily make sense for the Lakewood City Schools. For us, the Lakewood City Schools has to balance the funds with the required changes that would be imposed.

5. Just as important, participation in “Race to the Top” would cause the Lakewood City Schools to lose the local control and decision-making ability that has brought our school district success.

6. In the end, hesitancy by both the administration and our teachers led the Lakewood City Schools to decline to apply for this program. We simply cannot justify the radical changes that would be imposed on the programs, classes, and staff that have produced achievement for the Lakewood City Schools and value to our Community.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Dr. P. Joseph Madak directly. And, as always, please feel free to attend our next regular school board meeting which is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2010, at 7:00 p.m., at Horace Mann Cafetorium, 1215 West Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio.

Matt

Matt thank you so much for your response. I will be honest I did not do my research good enough and did not realize just how much more control would be given in exchange for these funds. Lakewood is already doing an excellent job of finding innovative ways to educate the kids. Thanks again for your explanation.

Doubletalk.

First you state that the program "mandates" complete changes then you say you apply and are told later what you have to do with the money.

Which is it?

If you don't know exactly what you must do (even though I suspect the use of the money is guided by suggestion more than mandate,) then how can you claim, as you seem to imply, that the changes would be so radical that Lakewood chose not to participate?

Added:

Here are four educational reforms necessary for states to qualify for Race to the Top funds, including:

• Developing teacher evaluations that are tied to student performance;

• Streamlining the process to allow professionals in other fields to gain teacher certification;

• Increasing the number of charter or other alternative schools;

• Developing methods to deal with failing schools.

What is so onerous about these guidelines?

Could it be allowing other professionals like engineers and mathematicians to teach?

Or perhaps the charter schools is too threatening?

Matt,

Thanks for the clarification. It is as I suspected. An opportunity was not missed. It was evaluated within the context of Lakewood Schools, then rejected.

Keep up the good work.

Steve

.

Thanks Mark.

You and Kevin Butler are very responsive.

Federal funds always come with strings attached. The usual result is that the school system that accepts the funds must spend more of its local dollars doing things that don't need to be done on programs that have nothing to do with education and everything to do with expanding the education bureaucracy.

Well if either Steve or Bill had bothered to check out ANY of the details of the program, they'd be less likely to pat the schools on the back for not bothering to apply.

Here:

http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/eligibility.html

Frankly, I'm appalled. There are no more bureaucratic hoops or "mandates" than one would expect when receiving taxpayer money from any source. There ARE reporting requirements to insure that the money is being spent on programs that are working successfully.

Bill, I'd think you of all people would like to see accountability when using taxpayer money.

This is no occasion to pat the schools on the back. This was a missed opportunity and the board administration was remiss for allowing this to be ignored.

I guess they figured its easier to ask the poor taxpayers of Lakewood to pony up more money than to bother to put together a proposal.

And thats all they had to do. Put together a proposal for how they would use the money to improve educational outcomes. Read the FACTS on the website. They weren't being told what to do, they were being asked to try something different and proposals that were well thought out, appropriate, and promising would be chosen to receive funding.

I urge everyone to investigate the program website and see if you can find where it would make an onerous burden on the schools or take away their autonomy.

http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop ... ility.html

Who May Apply: (by category) Governors

Who May Apply: (specifically) Awards are made to States.

States are the eligible applicants under section 14006(a)(2) of the ARRA. As defined by section 14013 of the ARRA, the term "State" means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Section 14006(c) of the ARRA requires at least 50 percent of Race to the Top funding to States to be sub-granted to participating LEAs according to their relative shares of funding under the ESEA Title I, Part A program for the most recent year.

States have considerable flexibility in awarding or allocating the remaining 50 percent of their Race to the Top awards, which are available for State-level activities, disbursements to LEAs, and other purposes as the State may propose in its plan.

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recove ... e/uses.doc
This doc was very interesting...(I hope that I have found the correct material)

Whether they are onerous or not is up for debate, but my read of the below document suggests to me that there are mandates (beyond reporting requirements) for school districts choosing to participate...assuming of course the state receives funding. That said, I have no idea which route would be better for Lakewood.

http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf

Jill Jusko wrote:Whether they are onerous or not is up for debate, but my read of the below document suggests to me that there are mandates (beyond reporting requirements) for school districts choosing to participate...assuming of course the state receives funding. That said, I have no idea which route would be better for Lakewood.

http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf

It appears that school districts could kiss their sovereignty good bye...

Grace O'Malley wrote:Frankly, I'm appalled.

Grace,

I respect your opinion. I really do. You asked for a response from me. That response is above. And I believe that the Lakewood City Schools made the right decision by not applying for the grant.

Frankly, I would be appalled if the federal government found the Lakewood City Schools eligible for the “Race to the Top” program since that program is intended to be used for “turning around struggling schools.” The Lakewood City School District is not a struggling school district. We are excellent in ways beyond a mere report card rating.

I believe that our tax dollars are better spent on schools that are actually eligible for “Race to the Top” grant dollars – i.e., struggling schools.

Matt

I believe that our tax dollars are better spent on schools that are actually eligible for “Race to the Top” grant dollars – i.e., struggling schools.

Matt

Are you saying that we don't need the money? Because that's what it sounds like.

Are you saying Lakewood doesn't need help? Because that's what it sounds like.

Are you saying Lakewood doesn't have issues like poverty and cultural challenges? Because that's what it sounds like.

Why did districts like Beachwood, Orange, Hudson, and Avon Lake bother to apply? Are they struggling districts?

Grace O'Malley wrote:Are you saying that we don't need the money? Because that's what it sounds like.

Are you saying Lakewood doesn't need help? Because that's what it sounds like.

Are you saying Lakewood doesn't have issues like poverty and cultural challenges? Because that's what it sounds like.

Why did districts like Beachwood, Orange, Hudson, and Avon Lake bother to apply? Are they struggling districts?

Grace,

No. I am not saying that the Lakewood City Schools does not need money. I am saying that the Lakewood City Schools does not to “reform” the manner in which we provide education to our children in order to become eligible for the “Race to the Top” grant program.

No. I am not saying that the Lakewood City Schools does not help. I am saying that the Lakewood City Schools does not to “reform” the manner in which we provide education to our children in order to become eligible for the “Race to the Top” grant program.

No. I am not saying that the Lakewood City Schools does not have issues like poverty and cultural challenges. I am saying that the Lakewood City Schools does not need to “reform” the manner in which we provide education to our children in order to become eligible for the “Race to the Top” grant program.

I have seen firsthand “struggling schools” in desperate need of “reform” - drastic reform. I think you would agree that the Lakewood City Schools is not such a school district.

I cannot speak to why any other school district applied for the “Race to the Top” grant program. That would be an issue to ask those school leaders. I suppose anyone can apply for any grant. I also suppose that if our federal government awards those schools “Race to the Top” grant funds, they are struggling schools which need “reform” as mandated by "Race to the Top” in order to turn their schools around.

What I can say is that I am an unabashed supporter of the current system of education provided by the Lakewood City Schools. Yes, we need money. Yes, we need help. Yes, we have issues like poverty and cultural challenges. And, yet, in spite of these challenges, our current system produces an excellent system of public education. I would go even further and say that other schools should look toward Lakewood if they are interested in real reform. But, again, I believe that we simply do many things better in Lakewood.

Our community has a true gift in the Lakewood City Schools. And it simply does not need the reform outlined in the “Race to the Top” grant program.

Now, if you are aware of any grant – federal, state, local, or private – that is giving money away without breaking what is already working in the Lakewood City Schools, let me know and I will ensure that the same information is shared with the Administration. As I stated above, we have been and are more than willing to get involved with whatever it takes to get federal, as well as state, local and private, funding to benefit our students, help with our educational mission, and keep costs down. But, not at the risk of breaking what is working.

I am not sure how much more I can add to this dialogue. At some point we are simply going to have to agree to disagree.

I would also encourage you and our fellow Observers to contact Dr. P. Joseph Madak directly if you or anyone else has any further questions. And, please feel free to attend our next regular school board meeting which is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2010, at 7:00 p.m., at Horace Mann Cafetorium, 1215 West Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio.

Matt