WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), congratulated the State of Colorado today as one of the 16 finalists for the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top competition.  The awards given are estimated to be between $20 and $700 million.  Colorado’s proposal requests $377 million to be used over four years for innovative school reform.

“I congratulate Colorado for being named a finalist today.  Colorado has been at the forefront of education innovation and reform and this funding could greatly assist our State’s ongoing efforts to better educate our students and reward and retain our high achieving teachers and principals.  I know Lieutenant Governor Barbara O’Brien and her team will be well prepared when they come to Washington, D.C. to present Colorado’s proposal.”

The Race to the Top funds were provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which U.S. Rep. DeGette supported, and was signed into law in Denver on February 17, 2009.

For more information about Race to the Top: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html