Phil Matier: East Bay School District Wins 'Race To The Top' Grant
UNION CITY (KCBS) – The New Haven Unified School District in Union City was one of 16 nationwide winners of a Race to the Top grant, winning $29 million in federal funding.
But there are a number of rules the feds have instituted on the money that left some other districts out in the dark, as they didn't even submit applications.
KCBS, CBS 5 and SF Chronicle Insider Phil Matier:
To win the federal grant, applicants had to agree to use student test scores when evaluating principals and teachers. Local unions were also required to sign the applications, a major sticking point for many school districts, including Oakland and San Francisco.
The federal government has issued $5 billion in Race to the Top grants since being introduced in 2009. In the past, the grants were only available at the state level, with California missing out because of objections to a number of federal requirements.
An important note – the money cannot be used to backfill state budget cuts which resulted in furlough days and larger class sizes. The money will be used for purchasing equipment, while also providing training and support for teachers and staff.
KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:
You can hear Phil Matier's comments Monday through Friday at 7:50am and 5:50pm on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM.
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