An article about what TN is planning to do with its RTTT money, with a word of caution from DFER's Charles Barone:

Tennessee school districts will hire new teachers and staff and make technology upgrades that would otherwise be unthinkable in tight budget times after getting a surge of cash this fall from the federal Race to the Top program.

Half of the $500 million in prize money awarded to Tennessee for winning the school reform competition will go to local school districts; the other half will be spent at the state level. Tennessee and Delaware were the first winners in the national contest, created by the Obama administration to encourage radical change in public school policy.

Local school districts get a say in how to spend the money over the next four years, but their plans must line up with what was promised in the state's application.

…Experts, policymakers and academics across the country are watching Tennessee to see how the grant money is spent and if it creates better test scores and stronger teachers.

One potential pitfall is that the district-level spending won't support the broad promises outlined by the state, said Charlie Barone, director of federal policy for Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee that supports changes to public schools.

Many of the proposed expenses from Metro and Rutherford County are going to support established initiatives, not new programs spurred by Race to the Top.

"There's a lot of risks in this budget climate for the money to be spent on a school budget wish list and not on the state plan," Barone said. "The temptation to use this to favor pet projects or certain vendors is going to be huge."

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