There will be another reading of Race to the Top tonight at 8:30 PM at the Rhode Island Department of Education. There have been a few chances, or at least that is what has been communicated, but the basic content remains the same, only with the time period extended by two years. Yesterday morning NEARI asked to see the actual language changes in writing and we are still waiting. This has been a constant problem with the commissioner believing people will sign on without reading the final document or even a draft. Unfortunately, that is exactly what most administrators and school committees did.
Yesterday, the commissioner ignored the state leadership and sent information directly to superintendents and asked them to relay it to their local unions. She is trying to divide and conquer the membership and it will not work. The deadline for the application is Tuesday and the entire weekend, when meaningful discussion and work could have been occuring, has been wasted. Check back here for an update after tonight's reading.