BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - With billions of dollars up for grabs from the federal government, Louisiana is aggressively trying to get a big slice of the pie in what could be the biggest and only financial boost state schools would see for several years. Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek estimates L
ouisiana could get anywhere from $25 million to $50 million annually for three to four years, but of course, those big bucks would come with what some may call a catch. In order to get the funding, Pastorek says school districts might have to take some aggressive steps, including possibly starting up more charter schools. Another step involves going through a process called reconstitution. It's a scenario in which a principal releases his entire staff and has all employees re-apply for their jobs. "Not every district is going to want to do this," said Pastorek. The federal government's cash could come with these and many other restrictions. The U.S. Department of Education will dish out money from the $4.3 billion "Race to the Top" fund using the following guidelines: * States should have strong academic standards * Use data effectively to improve schools * Have programs to improve teacher and principal quality * Have a good plan for turning around struggling schools. "They're actually looking for two things, cutting edge policy and results," said Pastorek. According to a report put out by the national independent group, The New Teacher Project, Louisiana has just that. The state ranked near the very top of the list when compared to all 50 states. "This will probably be one of the few sources of increased finances for schools in the state of Louisiana for the next several years," said Pastorek. A decision on who will get the money has not been made yet. Applications for the grant are due in December. Pastorek says the grants will be awarded in April 2010. Out of the millions awarded, each school that's chosen would get about $250,000 a year for about three years.
ouisiana could get anywhere from $25 million to $50 million annually for three to four years, but of course, those big bucks would come with what some may call a catch. In order to get the funding, Pastorek says school districts might have to take some aggressive steps, including possibly starting up more charter schools. Another step involves going through a process called reconstitution. It's a scenario in which a principal releases his entire staff and has all employees re-apply for their jobs. "Not every district is going to want to do this," said Pastorek. The federal government's cash could come with these and many other restrictions. The U.S. Department of Education will dish out money from the $4.3 billion "Race to the Top" fund using the following guidelines: * States should have strong academic standards * Use data effectively to improve schools * Have programs to improve teacher and principal quality * Have a good plan for turning around struggling schools. "They're actually looking for two things, cutting edge policy and results," said Pastorek. According to a report put out by the national independent group, The New Teacher Project, Louisiana has just that. The state ranked near the very top of the list when compared to all 50 states. "This will probably be one of the few sources of increased finances for schools in the state of Louisiana for the next several years," said Pastorek. A decision on who will get the money has not been made yet. Applications for the grant are due in December. Pastorek says the grants will be awarded in April 2010. Out of the millions awarded, each school that's chosen would get about $250,000 a year for about three years.For further details visit as : http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10945645
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