"As California and other states scramble for shares of Barack Obama's $4 billion pot of 'Race to the Top' education funds, it's easy to overlook the recent dagger to the heart dealt by the president and the Democratic-controlled Congress to the successful and popular Washington, D.C., school-choice voucher program. The voucher program's death sends a clear signal that Washington won't push states to increase competition in the education marketplace, ensuring that RTTT-funded 'reforms' will likely fail to produce dramatic improvements in student achievement.
RTTT funds are to be awarded to states that enact reforms, such as crafting data systems to measure and connect student achievement growth over time and the quality of individual classroom instruction; turning around low-performing schools; increasing the number of effective teachers and principals; and adopting common academic content standards and assessments agreed upon among the states. California has enacted laws designed to meet these requirements, which will allow the state to become eligible for up to $700 million in federal funds."