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  • East coast wins maximum grants
  • Posted By:
  • Staff Admin
  • Posted On:
  • 25-Aug-2010
  • Schools in America, in the recent past, have had to make major changes. This is because
    of the Race to the top initiative initiated by the Obama government. If the schools across the
    in our country managed to turn themselves around for a better system, they would be
    awarded huge amounts of money in Federal grant.

    And now the curtain has been raised. The education department secretary recently
    announced the names of the winners who got a share of the $ 3.4 billion federal grant. He
    further stated that these schools had made it because they strove hard to make bold changes
    to their school systems for the betterment of the education system and the country on a
    whole.

    The initiative taken up by the Obama government was split into two. And of the many states
    selected to win the prize money, 11 of these schools belong to Mississippi alone. Some are
    from Florida, followed by schools in Georgia, and then Massachusetts, and New York. An
    exception in the location is Hawaii.

    Many states however, did not participate and there are many who did participate but did
    not win in the race to the top competition. However, these states stated that most of the
    winners came from the East coast and this showed that the competition was already in their
    favour. Also they stated that these winning states would consider any idea innovative as
    long as Washington thought of them as innovative even if it meant throwing out teachers and
    principals.

    Many experts think following such norms only fit the poor nations and the rural communities.
    They feel that in places or towns where there is sparse population and only one school,
    getting teachers and principal for these schools is extremely difficult. Plus a small town will
    not have enough grants to get better teachers and to put a better education system in place.

    So they think that although these norms are being followed by various states in the country,
    they are fit for rural communities and not urban states. And the states that did not participate
    feel this way as well and that is why they chose to stay out of it.

    Last year, the state of Delaware won more than a $100 million dollar in the education stimulus
    race and Tennessee was awarded about $ 500 million. And this year’s winners include
    Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island.

    Now the states that did not participate in the competition sort of look down upon on the ones
    that did and won. The question here is, if the education system in these states benefits,
    then what is the harm? If the competition was based on rural norms but it worked, then what
    is left to argue? Finally, it is about a better system and it will help the students. At the end of
    the day it is going to benefit America and help in acquiring a better educated work force.





 

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