Race to the Top

On March 29, 2010, Governor Phil Bredesen announced that Tennessee was one of only two states to receive Race to the Top funds from the federal government - $501 million in total - representing the largest investment of federal dollars in public education in American history.

This unprecented opportunity came about as the result of months of planning, discussion, and collaboration across Tennessee.  The U.S. Department of Education established the Race to the Top Fund to encourage states to advance reforms around four specific areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

According to the Department of Education, "Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come."

After months of collaboration across the state, Tennessee submitted a comprehensive 264-page application, called "First to the Top", to the Department of Education.  PEF President Dan Challener was a member of the First to the Top writing team.  See an executive summary, a one-page overview or a longer summary from Tennessee SCORE, and visit the State's First to the Top page.  You can also watch videos featuring Dan's insight on the implications of Race to the Top for Hamilton County.