Nov 05, 2009
Governor Jindal Applauds Louisiana's Great Position in "Race to the Top"

BATON ROUGE – Governor Jindal joined education leaders in applauding Louisiana’s great position in competing for funds from the federal “Race to the Top” program, following the Race to the Top State Summit today at the Department of Education.

Around 250 people attended the Race to the Top Summit meeting today, including local school superintendents, school board members, school leaders, representatives from businesses, non-profits, higher education, charter schools, education associations and unions.  The purpose of the Summit was to inform attendees of LDOE’s current draft proposal to apply for the Race to the Top funds and to collect feedback from stakeholders.

Governor Bobby Jindal said, “We are excited about the opportunity for our schools to ‘Race to the Top’ and attract more funding to help students succeed. The strategies promoted in this competitive grant program are a step in the right direction and will provide the resources needed to support a sustainable model of growth. While participation in this new initiative is voluntary, the Department of Education is encouraging local school boards and superintendents across the state to strongly consider this opportunity to provide flexible funds to our schools. Our children only have one chance to grow up and get the skills they need to succeed. We must take advantage of every opportunity we have to strengthen our education system and provide more opportunities for Louisiana children.”

“The energy and interest we saw today reconfirms our belief that this is an extraordinary opportunity and time for public education in Louisiana,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said.  “We received valuable feedback in the form of concerns, questions and expressed support for Louisiana’s application, and we will work diligently over the next several weeks to address these points through further analysis.” 

“We are very inspired by the large number of people and the wide range of groups represented at the Summit today,” Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Keith Guice said.  “We are eager to continue dialoguing with local communities and stakeholder groups around the state’s application.”

“Race to the Top could support the improvement of all schools and districts in Louisiana,” said Gayle Sloan, superintendent of St. Tammany Parish schools. “This is a program we can all get excited about, because it’s about providing better schooling for students across this state. And if we can do that, we’re investing in our future, and that is really good news for Louisiana.”

"Race to the Top could provide significant funding that has the potential to change the lives of many children across Louisiana,” said Diane Roussel, Superintendent of Jefferson Parish Schools. “Schools that in the past did not have sufficient resources will finally have the opportunity to implement proven best practices."

“The opportunity to pursue such a grant has the potential to dramatically change education in Louisiana, and so it’s our hope that all stakeholders will learn as much as they can about this funding opportunity,” Eric Lewis, Chairman of the Baton Rouge Black Chamber of Commerce said.

“This grant could provide Louisiana schools with additional resources to implement effective strategies – and at a time when our state is facing a significant shortfall,” Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin said.  “Our hope is that the education community and policy makers at the local and state level will work together to take full advantage of this historical opportunity.”

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