New Jersey Is Among 19 Finalists For Major Federal Education Funding

The Star-Ledger reports today that New Jersey's application for up to $400 million in federal education dollars under the federal Race to the Top school reform program is one of 19 finalists, according to an official with the U.S. Department of Education.

The article says that not all finalists are expected to receive funding as the requests made exceed the $3.4 billion available in the program. Winners and amounts are expected to be announced in September.

It goes on to say that "the Race to the Top application caused a conflict between Gov. Chris Christie and the state's largest teacher's union, the New Jersey Education Association. Just before submitting the application last month, New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler agreed to make changes to win support from the NJEA.

But Christie changed the application, and sent it in without the NJEA's sign-on.

Some 18 states, plus the District of Columbia, were named finalists in the program, which is expected to award $3.4 billion for educational improvements.

New Jersey submitted an application in the first round of Race to the Top earlier this year, but was not named a finalist."