Schools to Compete in New Reality Show Called "Diving for Dollars"
Bored with the networks' tired lineup of reality TV offerings? Don’t fret. A new reality show being touted by the Obama administration is sure to top the Nielsen ratings. Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear the proposal being pitched by officials at the Department of Education. I even got to take a copy of the screenplay (otherwise known as DOE's Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Summary) home with me to read more.
Since I don't expect you to read all 87 pages (plus appendices), allow me to summarize: Of the proposed $3.5 billion increase for education offered up in the president's budget proposal, $3 billion will be offered in the form of competitive grants. This means that as states and districts struggle to recover from the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, only those who hire the most effective grant writers will score the majority of federal resources. (Told you it has the potential to be a great reality series, didn't I? I haven't heard any names being shopped around, but I think "Sink or Swim: Educators Dive for Federal Dollars" could work.)
Personally, I’m a huge fan of the administration's efforts to promote innovative education reforms that work and can be taken to scale in districts nationwide. But is asking our educators to divert their time and attention from the classroom to write grant proposals in the hopes of receiving additional federal funds really the best formula for nationwide school improvement? And is our nation now abandoning the historic federal role of providing equity for disadvantaged students?
"We must not abandon our nation's historic quest for equity in our education system and move toward a system in which funding is allocated on the basis of winners and losers. Education is neither a business nor a sport. It's a fundamental right of every child in this nation. Let's not allow our children's education to be subject to a game of chance," said Carter.
What do you think about the administration's fiscal 2011 budget for education? Will competition between districts truly serve the needs of all children or will the "rich [districts] get richer and the poor [districts] get poorer?"
Post submitted by Barbara Michelman, ASCD's Director of Communications
