The U.S. Department of Education's selection of New York State as a finalist for Race to the Top (RTTT) funding is welcome news for our school children and our school districts, and is a clear acknowledgement of our strong commitment to ensuring that each and every one of our public-school students receives the finest possible education.

I commend Assembly Education Committee Chair Catherine Nolan, all of our Assembly colleagues, the Governor, the Senate, Mayor Bloomberg and United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew for the concerted effort which made possible the sweeping education reforms enacted earlier in this legislative session.

We applaud our State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, State Education Commissioner David Steiner, and Senior Deputy Commissioner John King for their leadership in crafting an RTTT application worthy of serious consideration for federal funding.

I firmly believe that New York State is positioned to receive the maximum award, which will fortify our mission of improving student performance and closing the achievement gap.