New York State stands to receive a windfall of education funds after acing a national competition.
The state will receive up to $700 million in federal funding for its public education program after the U.S. Department of Education declared them among the winners of the Race to the Top competition in an announcement on Tuesday, August 24.
According to Governor David A. Paterson, the exact amount awarded to New York will be $696,646,000 – a veritable gold mine for the school system.
“During these difficult economic times, this funding will go a long way to ensure that our state’s children are given greater opportunity and access to a quality education,” said the governor. “This new funding will help provide the foundation for academic success and the emergence of a new generation of leaders and achievers for New York State.”
New York was named a finalist for the funding in July along with 17 other states and the District of Columbia. The state then had to pursue aggressive reforms in its school system to prove worthy of the funding, something that Paterson believes the legislature achieved with flying colors.
“This funding would not have been possible without the legislature approving my proposals to lift the state’s charter school cap, link teacher evaluations to student performance and provide resources to implement a data system that tracks individual student performance,” he said. “In addition, the hard work of the State Education Department to ensure our application was the strongest it could be was recognized by this significant award for New York’s schools. Moreover, I know the support of our New York Congressional Delegation was key to our success.”
Assemblymember Catherine Nolan said that, as a mother of a public school student, she was ecstatic to hear about the state’s victory in the competition.
“As chair of the Assembly Education Committee, I know the Race to the Top money will go a long way in helping New York renew and renovate our educational system,” she said. “Assemblymembers worked hard to come up with key legislation that would meet the test. With the leadership of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the guidance of State Boards Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, we worked together successfully to pass this complex legislation that allows us this win this money.”
Paterson also extended “thank yous” to the President and his staff for choosing New York.
“I would like to thank President Barack Obama for his commitment to our nation’s children and Education Secretary Arne Duncan for pushing the President’s strategy forward and for recognizing that New York State is worthy of these important dollars,” he said. “These funds will be directly invested in our children’s futures, which I am confident will lead to a bright and prosperous future for New York State.”
