WASHINGTON, DC (February 2, 2010) – Yesterday, President Obama released his FY 2011 budget proposal for the U.S. Department of Education. While calling for an overall increase of $3.5 billion in education funding, the budget eliminates six programs and consolidates 38 others into broader programs. Among the programs being consolidated is the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant program authorized by Title II of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

Yesterday, forty-one states submitted applications for the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top Fund (RTTT). This $4.35 billion competitive grant program will award millions of dollars to states that make major education reforms in four key areas: improving struggling schools, improving teacher quality and teacher distribution, building and using statewide data systems, and developing and using common standards and assessments.