5/29/09

Columbus Dispatch

WASHINGTON (AP) — States will hurt their chances to compete for federal stimulus money if they fail to embrace innovations such as charter schools, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said yesterday.

Duncan was responding to a question about Tennessee, where Democratic state lawmakers have blocked an effort to let more children into charter schools.

“States like that would not be helping their chances,” Duncan said during a visit to a school in Alexandria, Va.

The federal stimulus law gives President Barack Obama an incentive to push the expansion of charter schools. The law set up a $5 billion fund to reward states and school districts that adopt innovations. The fund is part of $100 billion for education over the next two years.

“We want to reward those states that are willing to lead the country where we need to go and are willing to push this reform agenda very, very hard,” Duncan said.

“There are a number of states that are leading this effort, and we want to invest a huge amount of money into them, a minimum of $100 million,” he said. “And the states that don’t have the stomach or the political will, unfortunately, they’re going to lose out.”