A July 27 Baltimore Sun article details the announcement by the United States Department of Education that Maryland is considered a finalist for securing federal Race to the Top funding. Maryland chose not to apply during the first round of state submissions, but did submit an application during the second round.
Maryland is one of 19 finalists in a national competition for federal education funding that prompted leaders to revamp the state’s school agenda in hopes of getting as much as $250 million in the next year.
“I can barely contain myself,” said Nancy S. Grasmick, the state superintendent of schools. “We are so excited because there was tremendous work that went into this and it has such potential for our schools.” …
When asked why Maryland had been picked, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that the state had made significant changes recently and that “by some metrics, you can make the case that Maryland is the highest-performing state in the country.”
In addition to Maryland, the finalists are: Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.
US Department of Education Press Release on Top Finalists
