Obama's budget abandons Race to the Top
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In his Monday budget proposal, President Obama decided against reinstating funding for Race to the Top — which was was once a centerpiece of his education agenda. All of Obama’s previous budgets, except his first, included funding for the program.
Funding for Race to the Top was eliminated in a December congressional budget agreement without much fight by the administration. By not even proposing new funds for the program, Obama appears to have given up on convincing Congress to add more funding for Race to the Top.
According to the Department of Education appendix of Obama’s budget, Race to the Top received $428 million in 2014, was appropriated $248 million for 2015, and had no proposed funds for 2016.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Race to the Top was established in the 2009 stimulus package as a way to reward states for adopting education reforms favored by the Obama administration. States were given a score determined by the administration, some of which was decided by subjective criteria.