Perry standing firm against federal education funding

Gov. Rick Perry reiterated his resolve to keep the federal government out of Texas schools at a news conference here Tuesday.

The event was supposed to focus on Perry’s plan to expand the Texas Virtual High School, but talk quickly turned to the federal Race to the Top program and Perry’s decision to keep Texas out of the competition for more than $4 billion in funding.

The governor announced last week that Texas would sit out of the competitive grant process, and President Barack Obama took a jab at the decision in a Tuesday morning speech at a Virginia elementary school.

Obama announced that he’ll push to add $1.35 billion to the program and open it up to individual districts. Currently, only states can apply.

“So innovative districts like the one in Texas whose reform efforts are being stymied by state decision-makers will soon have the chance to earn funding to help them pursue those reforms,” Obama said.

Both Perry and Education Commissioner Robert Scott have been critical of the federal program that pushes states to adopt education reform principles that are likely to be the cornerstone for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act in exchange for federal funding.

In Texas, it could’ve meant anywhere from $350 million to $700 million for cash-strapped school districts.

Perry’s objections to Race to the Top center on grant rules that give preference to states that sign on to a push for national curriculum standards.

The idea is to create common standards for math and English in kindergarten through 12th grade across states. Currently, while all states are required to test students in grades three through 11 in math and English, states set their own standards, which vary wildly.

Scott said that the way the rules are written, Texas may have to lower its standards to comply, depending on what the standards end up looking like. Perry said he’s not willing to sign onto a plan without details.

“To buy a pig in a poke like that,” Perry said, “is not the Texas way.”

But Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday the national common core standards process was not and never would be mandatory.

Leaders of San Antonio’s two largest school districts say they’ll consider applying for the money.

“We would certainly consider that. Of course, I would want to see what the requirements would be for the grant,” said Superintendent John Folks of Northside Independent School District.

North East ISD Superintendent Richard Middleton agreed.

“Absolutely,” said Middleton, who’s in the midst of an austerity plan and trimming $27 million from his district’s budget. “We have so many needs we can’t afford to turn our back on it.”

Perry also touted an expansion of the Texas Virtual School Network that will expand access to high-quality courses for high school students across the state, especially in rural areas where class choices can be limited. Perry wants to see the program expanded for high school dropouts to return to school and earn their diploma with the flexibility of an online school.