'Race to the Top' Grant Helps Save the Day

Just 13 months ago, President Barack Obama had this to say about education: “America will not succeed in the 21st century unless we do a far better job of educating our sons and daughters. And the race starts today.”

The president issued a challenge to our nation’s governors and school boards, principals and teachers, businesses and non-profits, parents and students: If we could set and enforce rigorous and challenging standards and assessments for principals and teachers; if we could  put outstanding teachers at the front of the classroom; if we could turn around failing schools, then our state could win a Race to the Top grant that would not only help students outcompete workers around the world, but would also let them fulfill their God-given potential.

I am very pleased to report that as a result of educational reforms that I fought for in the New York State Assembly, New York has won $700 million sorely needed education dollars from the federal government in the Race to the Top competition.

This major victory will allow us to modernize teacher evaluations to make them fair and objective. It also gives us an effective tool to analyze data gathered from testing.

It is important to note that this $700 million is in addition to another $607 million federal dollars we New Yorkers will receive that will save more than 8,200 teaching and staff positions in our public schools.

While this $1.3 billion doesn’t make up for the $1.4 billion in education funding we were forced to cut from our current state budget, it still represents a very strong helping hand and I want to thank President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan for extending that helping hand to us at a time we New Yorkers so desperately need it.

Also deserving credit are New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and our public school teachers for their dedication to our children’s educations, along with some other champions of public education such as Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, our own Long Island Regent Roger Tilles and State Education Commissioner David Steiner.

Not long ago, I was visited in my district office by someone who likes to call himself an educational “reformer” but is in reality someone who has fought long and hard against public education. And while I always try my very best to be civil to everyone who comes to speak with us, I want you to know that I was very tempted to be considerably less than civil when that person advised that our public school classes ought to have at least 50-60 students in each class.

We must certainly resolve that such an occurrence won’t take place on our watch.

One of our top priorities must be to do our very best to provide our kids with the finest education.  We make no better investment in our families and in our future as a community of Americans and as a community of New Yorkers.

It is for that reason that this $1.3 billion in federal funds is so extraordinarily significant. 

Charles Lavine represents the 13th State Assembly District, which includes portions of Syosset and Woodbury. Click here to read an education op-ed from Rob Germino, who is challenging Lavine for his seat in the 13th District.