Statement by Education Commissioner David Steiner on New York State's Race to the Top Application

While our application placed us among the finalists, the United States Education Department has announced that New York is not among the two first round winners in the Race to the Top competition. We will closely analyze the USED reviewers' response and will revisit our application with a view to submitting a successful second round plan that advances the Regents' education reform agenda. Critical to a positive outcome will be the legislative changes the Regents proposed prior to the submission of the Round 1 application - changes that will not only strengthen our application,  but will bring important benefits to education in New York State. For the sake of our 3.1 million children, we cannot allow this critical opportunity to undertake vital reforms to slip away.