State Supt. urges progress on Race to the Top legislation

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger held a news conference today to urge stsate policy makers to accelerate their work on Race To The Top bills.

The urgency is in order to ensure California's eligibility to compete for the unprecedented federal funds available through the Race To The Top.

The Race To The Top competition is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Superintendent O'Connell, Governor Schwarzenegger, and the State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell are jointly responsible for developing and submitting California's Race To The Top Application.

"I want to win the Race To The Top. I know the Governor does as well. If we all stay engaged and work together we can submit a winning application. And, at the end of the race, the real winners will be the students of California."

For more information on how Race To The Top and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 affect public education in California, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ar/.