Most districts sign on for Race to Top grant
Fifty-nine of Florida's 67 school districts will try to take part in the Race to the Top reform program, though most of their teachers unions are not committed to doing the same.
The lack of union support could hurt Florida's chances of winning a grant in the competitive $4.35 billion federal program. But Education Commissioner Eric Smith said Wednesday that he was pleased so many districts signed on to Florida's application and was optimistic more union support would follow.
By the late-night Tuesday deadline, all Central Florida districts but Seminole County's had sent in their required grant paperwork. None of them included a union signature on their memos, however.
Statewide, just five teachers-union presidents signed the grant paperwork, and in one of those counties, Sarasota, union officials said there was a "high probability" they would never reach agreement on some of the required plans.
Florida's Race to the Top proposal, following federal guidelines, focuses on several "big deal" reforms, including revamping how teachers are paid and overhauling chronically struggling schools. The state, facing a third straight year of deep budget cuts, could snag up to $900 million, half of which it would share with participating districts, officials said.
But critics say the state's plans are too prescriptive and demand too much, perhaps more than the grant would cover. Voicing those concerns, a divided Seminole County School Board decided not to take part, despite a plea to participate from Gov. Charlie Crist.
In an "open letter to parents" to be published today in the Tallahassee Democrat, the Florida Education Association said Florida's plan was a "minefield" that needed to be rethought.
The state's largest teachers union had previously called Florida's Race to the Top plan "fatally flawed" and urged local unions not to sign -- advice that most heeded. In today's letter, the union said it hoped Smith and his staff would hold off on applying until the second round in June and "return to the table" for more discussions.
The Education Department, however, plans to send in its application by Tuesday's first-round deadline.
Smith called teachers an "essential piece of the education-reform puzzle" and said he was felt confident union support would come.
"I remain optimistic that should Florida win this competition, many more of our local unions will realize the benefits within their grasp, and the flexibility they will have to develop plans that suit the needs of their communities," he said.
Leslie Postal can be reached at
lpostal@orlandosentinel.com
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