RTTT-1: Duncan’s casino w/fixed winners & enough razzle dazzle to keep the suckers coming back
This is sick.
Race to the Top, offering states carrots ($$$ carrots) to wield sticks against teachers’ unions and needy districts (merit pay, breaking tenure, charter schools, etc…) turns out to be a 3-ring, 24-hour, 365-day affair. Educational gambling. The Arne Duncan casino. Minus the floorshow. Plus some racketeering?
First round. Lots of money. Well, nope. Only two states scored. Delaware and Tennessee. Delaware and Tennessee?
What good fortune Obama has!
Tennessee is home of Republican Senator Lamar Alexander. And, look at this, Tennessee is getting twice the money that the Feds said it should ask for. Can you believe Obama’s luck? Because not only is Senator Alexander a nice man. He’s also a key vote for ESEA. Chairs a crucial subcommittee.
Delaware Republican congressman Mike Castle also chairs a key subcommittee. Whoa, Obama is hot! And, get this, Delaware is also getting more than the feds suggested was the right amount.
Lucky is lucky. Just yesterday the Washington Post quoted Duncan saying how much he liked Castle and Alexander. Imagine that?
And do the other 46 states go home sad? No! No losers in Duncan’s casino! They get to keep beating their unions and poor neighborhoods as they prepare their applications for Round 2.
– – — — —– ——– ————- ——– —– — — – –
It’s time (past time) to say NO to Race to the Top. Let’s withdraw from the second round of this sick game.
JD2718 
Hm… Tennessee is plausible also for their existing data systems. My reading of the requirements is that the data systems you already have in place are worth a lot of points, esp. relative to some of the last minute changes that states were shoving through.
Not that I disagree with your interpretation as well. ;-)
It seemed pretty clear that in the end Duncan was going to pick the states most advantageous to the administration’s political aims going forward.
Bottom line? Really, my bottom line. We should withdraw. We should urge others to withdraw.
How many states decided NOT to apply to the RttT competitive grant? If I’m not mistaken, Texas did not want to even try to apply because of the unwieldy requirements that are detailed in MOU.
Why not do some inquiries into those states that may have played it “safe” by not getting involved in the RttT grant.
I truly agree with you. NYS should not apply at all. The risks are greater than the rewards. If NYS applies, then it’s a faustian deal that no soul will be redeemed.
We were better to have supported McCain. At least the Democratic Congress would of stopped him from using education funds like Obama is.
I’ve got to believe that, in the long run, you’ll think differently.