By Catherine Gray Beuten
Integrated University Communications

(April 27, 2009) The winners of “Race to the Top” have a lot of work ahead of them. Sure, the victors get the money, but the real prize comes thousands or hours and hard work later when all of the state’s youth are educated, confident, contributing members of the local or global society.

Colorado leaders met at St. Cajetan’s on the Downtown Campus April 27 to discuss their plans to compete for a portion of $4.35 billion in “Race to the Top” funding to benefit and overhaul K-12 education. The U.S. Department of Education is holding the national competition as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will fund up to 10 states.

Gov. Bill Ritter told a group of about 150 that Colorado has the advantage of already being in the process of reforming its education standards. “The unwavering support of the people in this room has put us in a position to be eligible for funds available to enact bold reform in education,” he said. “Colorado might be among the most competitive states in the nation for these funds.”

But while the education reform now under way gives the state an edge, it only means Colorado will have to set even higher goals and expectations than other competitors for the funding.

“Not only will Colorado compete against the other states, we’ll be competing with ourselves,” stressed Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien. “We’ll have to demonstrate how far we’re ready to go from where we already are.”

Colorado Department of Education Commissioner Dwight Jones added, “We have to raise the bar, raise the standards. We have to create a sense of urgency.” Jones noted that Colorado is already partnering with other states and, if chosen for the funds, will increase it’s collaboration with the up-to-9 other states chosen for Race to the Top dollars.

“The learning created by these multi-state partnerships has to be scalable,” he stressed. “It has to have the opportunity to be a model across the nation.”

The gathering, hosted by the School of Public Affairs at UC Denver, was one of many meetings to be conducted in proposal process, which will begin in June.

The proposal will be submitted on Oct. 1. All Coloradans are encouraged to participate and provide input in the process and can click here to sign up. 

“This isn’t education for education’s sake. This is to turn lives around; to respond to workforce demands . . . it’s not just about the drop-out rate,” ” Ritter said. “This is about funds to supplement the kind of reform we’ve already embarked upon.” 

Photos: Top from left, Gov. Bill Ritter, Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, SPA Dean Paul Teske, CDE Commissioner Dwight Jones, and SEHD Director of P-20 Education Initiatives Janet Lopez. Center, Gov. Bill Ritter. Bottom, about 150 participants show their enthusiam for the "Race to the Top" proposal.