The Actual Race-to-the-Top Application

smokin' gun (0.00 / 0)

pager 261 of the pdf:

Here is the question:

(F)(1) Making education funding a priority (10 points)
The extent to which-
(i) The percentage of the total revenues available to the State (as defined in this notice) that were
used to support elementary, secondary, and public higher education for FY 2009 was greater than
or equal to the percentage of the total revenues available to the State (as defined in this notice)
that were used to support elementary, secondary, and public higher education for FY 2008;

Here is the answer:
.............................................
(i) EDUCATION SPENDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF
STATE SPENDING
In fiscal year 2011, despite huge budget strains, the Governor is proposing an increase in state revenue-based support for education by 2.2% ($238 million). As proposed,
preschool-12 education spending as a percentage of the state budget will be 35.4%. Federal ARRA funding will not be available to school districts in FY 2011, but the Governor and the executive team remain committed to funding education even as state
revenue-based support for most other areas of state spending has been cut. This demonstrates that, despite severe fiscal challenges, the leadership in the state of New Jersey remains committed to education.

Okay? That is no mistake. It was a deliberate choice not to answer the question that had been asked, and to provide other information in its stead. Too bad for NJ's kids that someone saw the need to spin this like this.

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by: denniscmcgrath @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 18:30:11 PM UTC

Thanks for this (4.00 / 1)

Unreal.  Absolutely unreal.

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by: rmfretz @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 19:11:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ohio answers the same question (0.00 / 0)

The percentage of revenues used to support elementary, secondary, and public higher education increased between FY 2008 and FY 2009. In FY 2009, Ohio spent $11.4 billion to support elementary, secondary, and public higher education. This represented an increase to 52.5% of total state-wide revenue, up from $11 billion, and 50.4% of state-wide revenue in FY 2008. In July 2009, during one of the greatest financial challenges the State and the nation has experienced in the past 50 years, the Ohio legislature passed HB 1 (FY 2010-2011 biennial budget), which includes comprehensive education funding reform. The comprehensive education reform package included a new school funding method, the Ohio Evidence-Based Model (EBM).

Sure does answer the question that was asked, doesn't it?

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by: denniscmcgrath @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 18:56:58 PM UTC

re Smoking Gun (0.00 / 0)

I wonder if the percentage of spending actually went down between the two years in question, which probably would have assured a value of less than 5 points. In any case I am suprised that the governor's office isn't trying to point to the points lost from the lack of NJEA signoff. As far as I can tell, the application lost 10+ points because of the recent infighting in spite of NJ's long history in education.

Some of the differences in scoring between judges is striking, although I guess you are going to get that anytime something is subjective. Any chance that the home states of some of the judges lost out?

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by: mmcgrath @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 19:19:21 PM UTC

Reviewers' Comments (0.00 / 0)

Very interesting.  School Districts not signing on hurt big time as well.

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by: rmfretz @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 19:59:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think that's the crux right there... (0.00 / 0)

if answering about the years in question would result in a net loss of percentage funding, I might answer with 2011 numbers as well to show a committment to education that maybe fiscal 2008/2009 did not bear out mathmatically.

However, having said that, if the percentages from 2008/2009 show an increase, than I would agree the answer was more about 'how great the Christie administration is' rather than answering the question.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 20:18:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

But.... (4.00 / 1)

That's not what they asked for, and will award zero points regardless of intent.  You have to answer the question and let the chips fall where they may.

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by: rmfretz @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 20:21:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

exactly n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: denniscmcgrath @ Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 20:29:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Nameless DC bureaucrats - malarkey! (0.00 / 0)

I was trying to find out if there will be a RTTT III - looks like there will be, and we should be ready to slam-dunk that one - when I came across this description of who scored the competition and how. I knew without reading this, just from experience, that the applications were peer-reviewed, because that's how these things work, but if you have some interest - more than Chris Christie, anyway - in understanding how these competitions work, you may find this enlightening:

http://www.ed.gov/blog/2010/01...

Strictly speaking, this describes the process used in the earlier Phase I competition, but I am sure the Dept. of Ed. didn't substantially change the methodology for phase II.

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by: denniscmcgrath @ Thu Aug 26, 2010 at 15:41:12 PM UTC