The conference, "Teacher Evaluation: Getting It Right," held on January 25, 2011, had 250 participants, representing OEA members and staff and school administrators with whom they are collaborating on Race to the Top and labor-management teams.

This webinar revisited the responsibilities and obligations of all parties under the State-LEA MOU for Race to the Top. It also offered an opportunity for discussion of progress and emerging issues.

The U.S. Department of Education has selected Ohio as one of the winning states to be funded in Round 2 of the Race to the Top program. Ohio will receive $400 million in Race to the Top funds during the next four years.

Unfortunately, some of the facts about Ohio’s approach to RTTT have been lost in the midst of what are understandably emotionally charged issues. As such, some of the concerns and beliefs about OEA would due with the federal money are simply unfounded. Let’s take seven of the more commonly expressed myths.

The recorded version of the June 21st OEA Webinar on Race to the Top is available by clicking on the link below. It is 36 minutes long.

https://ohea.webex.com/ohea/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=59952677&rKey=100ee0ae6d60de06

All Local Education Agencies (LEA) are eligible to participate in their state’s RTTT program. This grant program falls in the midst of an especially inconvenient time between winter recess and closures around the holidays. Unfortunately, because of the compressed nature of this process and the imminent application deadline imposed by the U.S. Department of Education, the timing cannot be changed.

In a formal comment to the U.S. Department of Education, the Ohio Education Association expressed general support of the goals of the Race to the Top Program, but cautioned against some provisions that rely too much on the use of student test score data. (This story contains the full text of the OEA comment letter.)

In order to understand the magnitude of the cuts to public education that would need to be made if the tax increase is not delayed, OEA has created a chart specifying how much each school district would have to cut due to the loss of Video Lottery Terminal Revenue and Federal Stimulus Funds.

The state aid simulations for FY 2010 and FY2011 are at the best estimates of the actual aid that school districts will receive.

NEA tracks the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on real educators, schools, communities, and families.

The U.S. Department of Education provides information on its website about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Link to the Ohio Department of Education's stimulus updates page.

This website is the portal for Ohio's efforts with respect to the Ammerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).