California Doesn't Place in the 'Race to the Top'
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California won't be getting $700 million in federal money for efforts to reform education. We talk with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the LAUSD and the California Federation of Teachers about why the State came up short for a second time. Also, a judge has ruled that federal money can have no role in any aspect of stem cell research. California's billion-dollar Institute for Regenerative Medicine says it will go ahead anyway. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, President Obama tries to be optimistic, but concedes that the Great Recession won't go away fast. Others compare it to the Great Depression as just the beginning of momentous economic change. We hear some challenging opinions about how American lives are likely to change as well.
Banner image: Secretary Duncan announces that nine states and the District of Columbia have won grants in the second phase of the Race to the Top competition.
Main Topic
California Loses Round Two in the 'Race to the Top' ()
California schools have lost again in the second round of the Obama Administration's "Race to the Top" in education. After the state lost in the first round, Education Secretary Arne Duncan personally encouraged Governor Schwarzenegger to try again, and success would have meant $700 million in federal funds with $150 million for LA Unified and $18 million for Long Beach. We talk with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the LAUSD and the California Federation of Teachers about why the State came up short for a second time.
Guests:
- Jack O'Connell: Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of California
- John Deasy: Deputy Superintendent, LAUSD, @DrDeasyLAUSD
- Marty Hittelman: President, California Federation of Teachers
Reporter's Notebook
Sudden Halt in Federal Money for Stem Cell Research ()
The Obama Administration has allowed the use of federal money for stem cell research, as long as the work does not involve destruction of human embryos to obtain the cells. Yesterday, a federal judge in Washington said such research is not segmented but a continuing process and ruled that the Obama guidelines violated the intent of Congress. California voters approved $3 billion for stem cell research, which is now controlled by the Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Art Torres is former head of the state Democratic Party and vice chair of the Institute.
Guests:
- Art Torres: Vice Chair, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Links:
Main Topic
The Economy after the Great Recession ()
Forget the argument about the stimulus and the deficit. We're having the wrong conversation, according to Richard Florida. The Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto says, "We need to blow up the fundamentals of our economy."
Guests:
- Richard Florida: Professor of Business and Creativity, University of Toronto, @Richard_Florida
- David Leonhardt: Economics Columnist, New York Times , @DLeonhardt
- Robert Pollin: Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Mark Zandi: Chief Economist, Moodys Economy.com
Links:
- President Obama on the recovery
- Goldin and Katz's 'The Race between Education and Technology'
- National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
- Economist Alexander Field on the Great Depression, the New Deal and the current crisis
- Florida on shifting fundamentals of our economy (The New Republic)
- Florida's 'The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity'
- Leonhardt on the recession's silver lining
- Zandi on the economy, recovery
- Zandi's 'Financial Shock: Global Panic and Government Bailouts -- How We Got Here and What Must Be Done to Fix It'
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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