Race to the Top? More like race to a stop.
Of Oakland County’s 28 school districts, Lake Orion Community Schools stands in the minority with six others who will not support the federal government’s Race to the Top Fund.
The school board voted unanimously on the issue at a Jan. 7 morning meeting.
Race to the Top is ‘a competition among states for a $4.35 billion state incentive to improve education quality and results statewide,? according to the U.S. Department of Education website.
State Superintendent Michael Flanagan asked districts to support Race to the Top by signing a memorandum by Tuesday, Jan. 12. According to Martin Ackley, director of communications for Michigan Department of Education, 703 districts statewide have submitted memos so far.
But Lake Orion Superintendent Ken Gutman says the district chose to reject the memorandum for three reasons.
‘First of all, and most importantly, the state has still not released what all of our obligations, both educationally and financially, would be. They’re essentially asking us to make a decision without having all the information,? he said.
The second reason: Race to the Top is an unfunded mandate.
‘To sign that memorandum would mean we are committing to something where we don’t know what we’re committing to,? said Gutman. ‘If we don’t sign it, and it’s imposed upon us, there are other legal opportunities for us to pursue.?
The third reason? Collective bargaining rights.
‘We would give up collective bargaining rights and that was probably the tipping point,? said school board President Bill Walters. ‘If anything, we need greater bargaining rights.?
Walters also noted that, though the district could potentially get $160,000 if Michigan received Race to the Top funds, those funds wouldn’t outweigh the costs of mandates such as new teacher evaluations.
‘To implement the new process would cost about $200,000 more than the grant, and the following years have no guarantee of funding,? he said.
‘Bottom line is: too many unknowns and too many dollars that we don’t have.?