Senator Foley Celebrates Race to the Top Funding

Senator Brian X. Foley (D – Blue Point) celebrated the announcement today that New York will receive up to $700 million in funding through the federal Race to the Top program.

The award of Race to the Top funding followed dedicated advocacy on the part of Senator Foley and his colleagues in the Majority Conference. In addition to lobbying the federal government, the senate passed a number of pieces of legislation that were critical in helping to obtain the funding. This legislation, which Senator Foley was a key supporter of, included reforming charter school operations and improving teacher and principal evaluations.

“Today’s announcement is an important and well-deserved one for New York’s schools,” said Senator Foley. “The funding that will be brought in through the Race to the Top program is even more critical for our schools in the wake of cuts to state education funding by the governor, cuts which were supported by the Senate Republican Conference. This funding will allow schools to access the additional resources they need to close the achievement gap, improve graduation rates and give every student in our state the opportunity to be college and career-ready when they leave our educational system. I am proud to have been a part of bringing this much-needed funding to New York and look forward to seeing it put to use.”