State works on second round of education funding application

As Missouri works on its second-round application for Race to the Top funding, it is developing a road map for public education for the next 10 years.

Mike Ponder, a local lawyer and member of the state board of education spoke to the Education Solutions Team at its monthly meeting Tuesday.

Ponder is wrapping up the first year of his eight-year term on the board. He spoke to the group mostly about the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's application for Race to the Top funds.

The department is continuing to solicit ideas as it crafts its application for the second round of competition, he said.

The U.S. Department of Education is doling out about $4 billion in competitive funding to states in two phases. Missouri lost out in the first round of funding, which is provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Out of 40 states and the District of Columbia, there were 16 finalists for the first phase.

Missouri competed in the first round and will reapply for the second round, which is due in June. Finalists will be announced in August.

Ponder said the state is ironing out issues regarding teacher tenure and charter schools, which are only in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas because of state law restrictions.

"It's going to take a legislative push" to bring charter schools to the rest of the state, he said. There are people arguing on both sides of the issue, he said.

He said the second application will highlight reading, fine arts and language immersion. Those components foster brain growth, testing abilities, cognitive thinking and cultural exploration, he said.

"Everyone is looking for a way to distinguish themselves with the Race to the Top," he said.

The Education Solutions team has been meeting for more than a year to develop strategies to improve the graduation rate in Cape Girardeau public schools. The effort, sponsored by United Way of Southeast Missouri, includes administrators and community leaders.

During the meeting, administrators expressed their thoughts about high school assessments. They advocated a statewide switch to the ACT. High school students currently take end-of-course exams through the Missouri Assessment Program.

Taking the college entrance exam instead will encourage students to finish high school and seek more education, said assistant superintendent Pat Fanger.

"A local assessment is not going to do that," she said.

The Education Solutions Team will outline its work on the graduation rate at the 21st annual Community Caring Conference on Friday. Martin Blank, president of the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C. and Brent Schondelmeyer, communications director for the Local Investment Commission in Kansas City, Mo., will speak at the event.

Morning and lunchtime sessions are available. Registration for the conference is available at www.communitycaringcouncil.org.

abusch@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave. Cape Girardeau, MO