California district’s bid for Race to the Top funds fails after teachers’ union withholds its support

The Los Angeles Times reports that efforts by the Los Angeles Unified School District to secure a $40 million grant through the Race to the Top competition funded by the U.S. Department of Education has failed, because the L.A. teachers’ union has declined to sign the application, a condition for the competition imposed by ED.

Education Department invites districts to apply for $400 Million in Race to the Top competition to support classroom-level reform efforts

In a press release reported in ED.gov, the U.S. Department of Education announced the availability of the application for the 2012 Race to the Top-District competition, which will provide nearly $400 million to support school districts in implementing local reforms that will personalize learning, close achievement gaps and take full advantage of 21st century tools that prepare each student for college and their careers.

Education Department opens the Race to the Top competition to individual districts

The Associated Press reports that the U.S. Department of Education has announced that it is opening its Race to the Top competition to individual school districts.

New York education officials and teachers’ union agree on teacher evaluation system as Gov. Cuomo’s deadline looms

New York State education officials and the state teachers’ union reached an agreement on a new teacher evaluation system, reports School Book, within hours of the deadline imposed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. According to those involved in the negotiations, Cuomo threatened to break the impasse by imposing his own way to judge the quality of [...]

Hawaii’s public school teachers reject proposed contract

KITV ABC 4 reports that Hawaii’s public school teachers have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract by a margin of 67% to 33%. The teachers turned down a six-year deal that included pay raises based on performance and years in service.

Nine states awarded Race to the Top funds for early childhood programs

According to an Associated Press (AP) report in the Washington Post, nine states will share $500 million in grant money won in a high-profile competition intended to jump-start improvements in early childhood programs. California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington will see funding for innovative efforts in often-overlooked pre-K schooling.

TSBA counsels school officials to be patient implementing Tennessee’s new teacher evaluation system

The Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) is encouraging local school district officials to exhibit patience as they implement the state’s new teacher evaluation system, says the Commercial Appeal. The new evaluation system, which in part gauges teacher effectiveness using student test scores, played a critical role in Tennessee receiving $500 million in federal Race to the Top funds.

Tennessee seeks waiver from NCLB’s accountability standards

The Associated Press (AP) reports in Education Week that Gov. Bill Haslam has announced that Tennessee is seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to use its revamped education standards to measure schools instead of those mandated by No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). According to the governor and state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman, the federal standards no longer serve the interest of education reform in Tennessee.

Opponents of Wisconsin and Ohio’s collective bargaining laws continue challenges in court and on the ballot

The Associated Press (AP) reported in Education Week that Wisconsin’s recently-enacted public employees collective bargaining law took effect after being upheld by the state supreme court earlier in June 2011. Some districts and municipalities reached new contracts with different union chapters in spring ahead of the law, in some cases shielding workers from some of the law’s effects.

Meanwhile, a separate AP report in Education Week said opponents of Ohio’s new collective bargaining law had delivered petition signatures aimed at getting a repeal question on the November ballot. The law’s provisions on teacher evaluation, however, were tucked into a budget measure that the governor signed.

Tennessee House approves teacher tenure reform legislation

The Tennessee House has approved a teacher tenure reform bill by a 65-32 vote after the state Senate approved it 21-12, says the Commercial Appeal. The bill requires teachers to be on the job five years instead of three to earn the job security of tenure. It also provides that teachers can be returned to probationary status if they perform below expectations for two consecutive years. Gov. Bill Haslam introduced the bill to build into law the education reforms the state is attempting through the $500 million it received last year in Race to the Top funds.Teachers object to the bill on the ground that tenure reform will subject them to standards that have not been tested.