Senator Dodd on Financial Commitment to Education Standards

June 17, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today following Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s announcement that the Department of Education will commit up to $350 million of the Race to the Top program to support common education standards initiatives. The Race to the Top program, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will award competitive grants to states that are working to use innovation to improve their education systems.

“I commend Secretary Duncan’s decision to dedicate funding to advance common education standards between states,” said Dodd. “I am pleased that Secretary Duncan and the Administration recognize the importance of developing high-quality standards, which ensure that students are given the same opportunity to learn no matter where they reside. We must do everything we can to ensure that every American is afforded the opportunity to succeed at the highest level, beginning with a quality education for all.”

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Last week, Dodd reintroduced the SPEAK Act in the Senate, a bill to incentivize the adoption of voluntary educational standards. This legislation would task the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) with adopting high-level, voluntary core standards for K-12 math and science education. The SPEAK Act would establish the American Standards Incentive Fund to award grants to state educational agencies for the voluntary adoption of these standards.

Source: Senator Chris Dodd