Gov. Gregoire announces plan to submit application for Race to the Top process

For Immediate Release: November 20, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced that Washington state will submit an application in phase two of the Race to the Top grant application process.

The federal Department of Education is providing Race to the Top grants to states to support education reform efforts as part of the Recovery Act. The department will hold two rounds of competition for the grants. Applications for the second round are due June 1, 2010, with the announcement of all the winners by Sept. 30, 2010.

�I worked with Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn and state Board of Education Chair Mary Jean Ryan to reach this decision,� Gregoire said. �Our kids� futures are at stake as we continue with improvements to our education system and focus on student achievement.

�The federal government has made an unprecedented offer to fund state activities. Accessing this grant money would provide us with a unique opportunity make our system stronger and our children more competitive when they finish their K-12 education. We need to take the time to involve our school districts and make sure we get our application right.�

�Race to the Top money will help change the way we do education and make our schools better for our students,� Dorn said. �But we need time to make sure local districts can participate in the process. Waiting for the second round of applications gives us that time.�

�After reading the federal guidelines, I support the idea of applying for Round Two,� Ryan said. �We have a lot of work to do, and it is work worth doing. We have important legislation to develop and enact to have any chance of winning a grant, as well as work to do with local school districts. These are efforts we need to undertake as part of education reform in our state.�

The Department of Education will award $4 billion from the Race to the Top Fund, which will reward states that have raised student performance in the past and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains with innovative reforms.