Did teacher union support determine Race to the Top winners? [View All]

[Radical Activist]

With more Race To the Top winners announced, the pattern is becoming clearer. Obama empowered teachers unions in every state with a strategic bargaining chip, even in right-to work-states where unions are weak.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703447004575449320363145744.html

"Mr. Duncan said union support was important, but not the only factor in the awards process."

Colorado, which finished 17th among 19 finalists, had been widely viewed as the top contender in the competition, and Mr. Duncan said Tuesday that he wished he could have funded the state. Dwight Jones, Colorado Commissioner of Education, said he was "shell-shocked" that his state didn't win and he pointed to the lack of teacher union support as one reason.

"There is a real disconnect for me because we did exactly what the administration urged us to do—adopt significant reforms," Mr. Jones said. "So we adopt the ambitious reforms and create the conditions to make dramatic changes, but we don't win because not everyone signed on. That worries me."

Deborah Fallin, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Education Association, said the union supported Colorado's application in an earlier Race to the Top round, but the state didn't win then, either. The union withdrew support in the second round after lawmakers passed a teacher evaluation law that make it easier to get rid of low-performing teachers. "They want to blame us no matter what," she said.

Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, said teacher support of the applications should have played a role in the judging, noting that, in addition to Hawaii, winning states Florida, New York and North Carolina enjoyed teachers' backing.

Like Colorado, California also narrowly lost out after failing to get the support of teachers unions.
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/24/1405707/feds-reject-californias-application.html

Florida was forced to go back to the drawing board and engage unions for the second round of funds.

In its first round, unions in only five districts supported the state's application, which linked teacher pay to student test scores. In the second round, Gov. Charlie Crist pulled together a working group consistent of union, local and state school leaders, in the end achieving a broad consensus of support.

"This award means the outstanding collaboration in Florida has been recognized," U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, said, adding that the award, coupled with $555 million from an education jobs bill approved by Congress, "will help our financially struggling schools districts offer a quality education for Florida children."

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/24/1789722/florida-cashes-in-with-race-to.html

Obama made sure unions have a seat at the table to shape education policy in every Race to the Top state.