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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

State may sit out second round of Race to the Top | California Watch

State may sit out second round of Race to the Top | California Watch

State may sit out second round of Race to the Top

The proverbial "Fat Lady" has not sung yet on California's second attempt at the $700 million prize offered in the Race to the Top reform contest.

But if you listen closely, you might hear some practice "Me, Me, Me, Meee" yodels, buzzing in the background.

According to Tuesday's Sacramento Bee, Rick Miller, the deputy state superintendent largely responsible for developing and shepherding the first application, left the Department of Education this week for a consulting job.

And top state education officials, including State Superintendent Jack O'Connell, were "noncommittal" on whether California would even reapply by June 1 for the contest's second round. O'Connell told the Bee he was asking for staff recommendations before making a decision.

We are in the evaluative process," O'Connell told the Bee. "We want to thoughtfully