Eduflack: The Weingarten Doctrine

Eduflack: The Weingarten Doctrine

Randi Weingarten, The Manchurian Candidate

Education Notes Online

Eduflack: The Weingarten Doctrine

For those who remember the early days, Eduflack was founded nearly three years ago to comment on how successfully (or unsuccessfully) we were communicating education and education reform ideas.  At the time, NCLB was a hot topic in many circles, Ed in 08 was committed to raise the profile of education issues in national campaigns, and changes in organizational leadership and new constructs of advocacy groups threatened to move education back onto the front pages.

But as a recent Brookings study has demonstrated, education stories simply aren't capturing the hearts and minds of the media, let alone the residents of Main Street USA.  So Eduflack evolved with the times.  Rather than critique the scraps of media, I spend most of my time talking about the issues that merit discussion.  But we long for the good old days and our original mission.

This is particularly true of speeches.  As a former speechwriter (for members of Congress, members of presidential Administrations, and executives at Fortune 500 companies and leading non-profits), I greatly appreciate the written word.  I particularly appreciate capturing a speaker's voice, gaining an audience's attention, and delivering a real ask that results in a change of thinking or a change in behavior.  Unfortunately, such speeches are few and far between in education.  Yes, we occasionally get the Gingrich/Sharpton engagements brought by our friends over at the Education Equality Project, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.  EdSec Arne Duncan delivers a good speech, but pretty much sticks to the stump speech these days (with the true exception being the speech at the NEA last June).  President Obama can deliver a powerful ed reform speech, as he did at the National Academies of Science last spring on the topic of STEM, but those are rarities.  And if we spend time at many of the forums and discussions in DC and around the country, those "discussions" could be scripted and blocked out weeks ahead of time, with transcripts (including questions and answers) released before they are delivered.  For the most part, education rhetoric has grown stale, with us saying the same things to the same audiences with limited impact.  After all, what truly unique discussion can we have on topics like ARRA spending guidelines or RttT guidance.

Schools Matter: Innovation Schools = Segregation Schools

Schools Matter: Innovation Schools = Segregation Schools

Innovation Schools = Segregation Schools

It is ironic, at least, that today on Martin Luther King Day, the Governor of Massachusetts, an African-American himself, signed an education bill that assures the continued intensification of resegregation of American schools and the renewed oppression of minority children in the poorest neighborhoods of the Commonweath. Now with a state approved policy that doubles the number of chain gang corporate charters in the poorest and blackest neighborhoods, the human rights, the economic rights, and the civil rights for which Dr. King gave his life now accelerate even further and faster into our recent past. Apartheid returns with a "liberal" seal of approval.

And the fact that the Democantic establishment is so blinded by their own greed and hubris that they see nothing ironic about this sad reality shows exactly why they will lose on Tuesday the U. S. Senate seat occupied by the late Ted Kennedy. For while the Rahm troops have built a corporate constituency in Washington that can out-money even the Republicrats, the Progressive independents and progressive Democrats that elected Obama are done with the charade. Over. Out. No mas! Corporate education, corporate healthcare, corporate war, corporate welfare, corporate psychology, corporate government, corporate environmental policy, corporate rights, corporate speechifying, and corporate kowtowing. Done, over, out. No 

Fun Math Blog

Fun Math Blog

Wild About Math!

Making Math fun and accessible

How the St. Louis Arch got its shape

January 18th, 2010I found this wonderful short video on Science Friday by mathematicianRobert Osserman on the Math behind the St. Louis Gateway Arch. This video is a great testament to the beauty of mathematics. Watch it and tell us if you agree.

Opposition to Education Grant Program Emerges as Deadline Looms - NYTimes.com

Opposition to Education Grant Program Emerges as Deadline Looms - NYTimes.com:

"The Obama administration’s main school improvement initiative has triggered education policy changes in states across the nation, but it is meeting with some last-minute resistance as the first deadline for applications arrives on Tuesday.

Thousands of school districts in California, Ohio and other states have declined to participate, and teachers unions in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida recommended that their local units not sign on to their states’ applications. Several rural states, including Montana, have said they will not apply, at least for now, partly because of the emphasis on charter schools, which would draw resources from small country schools."

Cities of Service - Press Releases

Cities of Service - Press Releases

CITIES OF SERVICE AND ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AWARD FIRST-EVER "CITIES OF SERVICE LEADERSHIP GRANTS" TO TEN CITIES TO HIRE CHIEF SERVICE OFFICERS

Chief Service Officers will Lead Local Efforts to Develop and Implement a Citywide Plan to Increase Volunteerism

Mayors from Across the Country Launched Cities of Service Coalition to Meet President Obama's Call to Mobilize Millions more Americans in Volunteer Service

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, founding members of the Cities of Service coalition, today joined Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Judith Rodin to announce the winners of the first-ever Cities of Service Leadership Grants. Ten cities were selected to receive $200,000 two-year grants, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, to hire a Chief Service Officer - a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a citywide plan to increase volunteerism and target volunteers to address their city's greatest needs. Due to the extraordinary response from cities to the first request for proposals - 50 cities applied to receive one of the ten grants - the mayors and Dr. Rodin announced that there will be a second competition in the coming months to award similar grants to an additional ten cities. The announcement was made on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national day of service, at the John Foster Dulles School of Excellence in Chicago, where more than 100 City Year Chicago high school students spent the day off painting hallways and murals, and re-organizing classrooms. Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of Mayors from across the country, representing more than 38 million Americans in 80 cities, dedicated to engaging more Americans in service and channeling volunteers towards each city's most pressing challenges.

The cities selected to receive leadership grants are Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville-Davidson, TN; Newark, NJ; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Sacramento, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA. Each of these cities displayed a strong commitment to service and outlined thoughtful, thorough and creative approaches to expanding local opportunities for volunteers to make an impact.

"I can think of no better way to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and this national day of service than to invest in the capacity of cities to mobilize their citizens in innovative ways to solve our common problems," said Mayor Bloomberg. "As we work to help our neighbors and communities through the greatest financial crisis we've seen in a long time, we believe citizen service is needed now more than ever. These grants, funded generously by the Rockefeller Foundation, will help us develop new strategies to tap volunteers as a serious strategy to solve local challenges."

Sacramento Press / Knight news challenge grant

Sacramento Press / Knight news challenge grant

South Sacramento is a diverse community that speaks many languages and practices many traditions. Cultural lines and language barriers prevent news and community stories from being told to those outside a small radius.

Access Sacramento, in collaboration with The Sacramento Press, The Sacramento Bee and other regional media organizations have reached the final round in the Knight News Challenge.

Their grant proposal will focus specifically on South Sacramento and its residents. Access Sacramento has applied for a two-year, $316,500 grant to continually achieve their mission of providing a forum for the thoughts, dreams and opinions of community members who are ignored by mainstream media. The grant will allow five sites to be outfitted with the technology needed to achieve their two goals.

"Our first goal is to challenge the current media to educate and teach new citizens," Access Sacramento Executive Director Ron Cooper said. "This will create hyper-local news straight from the community."

Cooper hopes new citizens who aren't covered by traditional new sources to participate as community reporters who are able to cover events in a language other than English. Spanish, Hmong and Tagalog are a few of the main languages spoken by members of the community. Cooper and others believe this language barrier is a main reason for the disconnect.

"There is a lack of personnel engagement in news sources today," Cooper said. "This grant will help us engage the South Sacramento community like never before. Activists, leaders or concerned citizens will all be able to participate."

The second goal of the challenge is to supply the equipment and education necessary for reporting. Computers and Internet access are just the beginning.

Desafío de noticias Knight subvención
Al sur de Sacramento es una comunidad diversa que habla muchos idiomas y las prácticas de muchas tradiciones. Las líneas de barreras culturales y lingüísticas impedir que las noticias e historias de la comunidad de que se diga a los que están fuera de un radio pequeño.

El acceso de Sacramento, en colaboración con La Prensa de Sacramento, el Sacramento Bee y otros medios de comunicación regionales las organizaciones han llegado a la ronda final en el Desafío de Noticias Knight.

Su propuesta de subvención se centrará específicamente en el sur de Sacramento y sus residentes. Acceso de Sacramento ha solicitado dos años, 316.500 dólares de subvención a lograr, su misión de ofrecer un foro para que los pensamientos, los sueños y las opiniones de los miembros de la comunidad que son ignorados por los medios de comunicación. La subvención permitirá cinco sitios a ser equipado con la tecnología necesaria para lograr sus dos objetivos.

"Nuestro primer objetivo es desafiar a los medios de comunicación actuales para educar y enseñar a los nuevos ciudadanos," Acceso Sacramento Director Ejecutivo Ron Cooper. "Esto creará hiper-locales de noticias directamente desde la comunidad".

Cooper espera que los nuevos ciudadanos que no están cubiertos por las fuentes tradicionales de nuevo a participar como reporteros de la comunidad que son capaces de cubrir los acontecimientos en un idioma distinto del Inglés. Español, hmong y tagalo son algunos de los principales idiomas hablados por los miembros de la comunidad. Cooper y otros creen que esta barrera del lenguaje es la principal razón de la desconexión.

"Hay una falta de compromiso personal en las fuentes de las noticias de hoy", dijo Cooper."Esta donación nos ayudará a involucrar a la comunidad del Sur de Sacramento como nunca antes. Activistas, líderes o todos los ciudadanos interesados puedan participar".

El segundo objetivo del desafío es suministrar el equipo y la educación necesaria para la presentación de informes. Computadoras y acceso a Internet son sólo el comienzo.

"Las habilidades para ser un periodista también se enseña", dijo Cooper. "Tenemos que enseñar a la objetividad y no la subjetividad. Los medios de comunicación que actualmente se ejecuta en el sensacionalismo. Este será diferente, no sólo una historia tras otra de los robos y la delincuencia. Esta comunidad necesita una voz para ser escuchado, y no pueden esperar a que ".

Historias recibido del proyecto se mostrará en AsIsOnline.tv. Este nuevo sitio ofrece la posibilidad de texto, imágenes y video para ser subidos y compartidos con el mundo. Noticias e historias en todos los idiomas estarán disponibles para los usuarios de toda la región.

Más de 2.300 solicitantes de todo el mundo aplica para el Desafío de Noticias Knight.Estimaciones de Cooper que Access Sacramento es uno de los 100 finalistas, pero los ganadores no se darán a conocer hasta junio. El desafío de todo es público: Propuestas de donación que se muestran en la Internet, y todo el software desarrollado para la concesión debe ser convertido en fuente abierta para compartir con el mundo. La Fundación Knight desea propuestas ganadoras fueron copiados y repetidos en todo el mundo. La Fundación Knight quiere inspirar a las comunidades de todo el mundo con estas propuestas.

"Para celebrar la diversidad, tenemos que empezar a realizar los que no participan y averiguar por qué", dijo Cooper. "Esta donación permitirá el acceso de Sacramento para acelerar sus planes para el sur de Sacramento."

奈特新闻挑战金 
南萨克拉门托是一个多样化的社会，精通多国语言和习俗的许多传统。文化线和语言障碍，防止和社区的新闻报道被告知外面的一个小半径。

访问萨克拉门托协作，与萨克拉门托新闻，萨克拉门托蜜蜂和其他组织的区域媒体达到了骑士新闻挑战赛最后一轮。

他们的补助金的建议将集中于南国王和居民特别。访问萨克拉门托已经申请了两年，三一六五○○美元给予不断实现他们提供一个思想，梦想和社区谁是主流媒体忽视成员的意见论坛的使命。这笔赠款将允许5个地点，与来实现其两个目标的技术装备。

“我们的首要目标就是挑战目前的传媒教育和教学的新公民，”访问萨克拉门托执行主任罗恩库珀说。 “这将创造直接从社区超当地新闻。”

库珀希望谁不是由传统的新的来源包括参加社区记者谁能够涵盖的语言不是英语的其他活动的新公民。西班牙，苗族和菲律宾语是一个由社会人士使用的主要语言等等。 Cooper等人则认为，这种语言障碍是一个断开的主要原因。

“有接触的人员在今天的新闻来源不足，”库珀说。 “这笔赠款将帮助我们进行前所未有的南方萨克拉门托社会。活动家，领导或有关公民都可以参加。”

这一挑战的第二个目标是为报告提供的设备和必要的教育。电脑和互联网仅仅是个开始。

“技能是记者也将教，”库珀说。 “我们需要客观和不教主体。媒体目前煽情运行。这将是不同的，并非只是因为抢劫和犯罪故事的故事。这个社会需要的声音被听到，他们不能等待得到它。“

故事收到项目将于AsIsOnline.tv显示。这个新的网站提供文字，图片和视频上载有机会与世界各地分享经验。新闻和所有小说将提供给用户的整个地区。

超过2,300从附近奈特新闻挑战世界申请人申请。库珀估计，访问萨克拉门托是仅有的100名入围者之一，但获奖者将要等到今年6月宣布。整个挑战是公众：格兰特建议，在互联网上展示，并授予必须开源与世界分享开发的所有软件。骑士基金会希望获胜的建议被复制和世界各地的重复。骑士基金会希望激励各地的这些建议全球社区。

“为了庆祝多样性，我们需要开始从事那些没有参与，并找出原因，”库珀说。 “这笔赠款将允许访问萨克拉门托，加快南国王的计划。”

Рыцарь Новости задачу гранта 
Южная Сакраменто это различные сообщества, которые говорят много Языки и практики, многие традиции. Культурным линиям и языковые барьеры не позволяют новостей и историй из сообщества говорят в тех пределах небольшого радиуса.

Доступ Сакраменто, в сотрудничестве с пресс Сакраменто, Sacramento Bee и других региональных организаций, средств массовой информации пришли в финал в Рыцарском Новости Challenge.

Их предоставить предложение будет конкретно по Южной Сакраменто и его жителей.Доступ Сакраменто подал заявку на два года, $ 316500 предоставить свои достижения постоянного представительства в качестве форума для мысли, мечты и мнения членов общины, которые игнорируются средствами массовой информации. Грант позволит пять участков, которые будут оснащены технологиями, необходимыми для их достижения двух целей.

"Наша первая цель состоит в оспаривании текущего медиа воспитывать и обучать новых граждан", доступ Сакраменто исполнительного директора Рона Купер. "Это создаст гипер-местные новости прямо из сообщества".

Купер надежд новых граждан, которые не подпадают под традиционные новые источники для участия в качестве сообщество журналистов, которые способны освещать события на другом языке, кроме английского. Испанском, тагальском хмонг и лишь некоторые из основных Языки общения членов сообщества. Купер и другие считают это языковой барьер является основной причиной отключения.

"Существует нехватка участия персонала в новостных источников сегодня", сказал Купер."Этот грант поможет нам привлечь сообщество Южной Сакраменто, как никогда прежде. Активисты, руководители или заинтересованные граждане все будут иметь возможность участвовать".

Вторая цель этой проблемы является поставка оборудования и образование, необходимые для представления отчетности. Компьютеры и доступ в интернет только начало.

"Навыкам быть репортером будет также учил:" Купер. "Мы должны научить объективности и не субъективность. Массовой информации в настоящее время работает на сенсации. Это будет по-другому, а не только историю за историю грабежей и преступлений. Это сообщество должно голос был услышан, и они не могут ждать, чтобы оно ".

История получила от проекта будет отображаться на AsIsOnline.tv. Это новый веб-сайт дает шанс для текста, изображений и видео для загрузки и делились с миром. Новости и статьи из всех Языки будет доступна пользователям во всем регионе.

За 2300 заявители из разных стран мира применяется для рыцаря Новости Challenge.Купер оценкам, что доступ Сакраменто является одной из 100 финалистов, а победителей не будет объявлено до июня. Вся задача заключается общественности: заявки на гранты выводятся на Интернет, и все программное обеспечение, разработанное для предоставления должно быть открытых источников, чтобы поделиться с миром. Knight Foundation пожелания победы предложений были скопированы и повторяется во всем мире. Рыцарь "хочет, чтобы вдохновить общинах по всему миру с этими предложениями.

"В ознаменование разнообразия, мы должны начать привлечение тех, кто не участвует и выяснить, почему", сказал Купер. "Это позволит предоставить доступ Сакраменто, чтобы ускорить свои планы по Южной Сакраменто".

EducationCEO's Blog

EducationCEO's Blog

Tomorrow we honor a man and his ‘Dream,’ 

but then it’s business as usual

January 18, 2010

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As millions of people across the country prepare to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I can’t help but wonder: How many people truly believe that we are better off because of his efforts and the Civil Rights Movement? How many people will use this one day, out of 365, as an assurance that they are keepers of the dream when in reality, they are dream killers? I am sure that I will strike a few nerves with this post, but c’est la vie! As the saying goes: A hurt dog will yelp. If you cringe while reading this or stop midway then, well..you know.
Almost 8 years ago I made the decision to move to Atlanta. Misguided and misinformed, anxious to leave South Bend, IN behind, I actually thought Atlanta was the place to be! After all, it is the birthplace of Dr. King so of course I expected to meet and interact with some professional, educated, and socially conscious people, Black, White, and everything in-between. (Enter reality, stage left). To say I was and still am disappointed by what I have seen would be an understatement. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that I had stepped inside the DeLorean and traveled back in time by say, oh…..at least 200 years.
Reality #1: Despite legislation, minority law makers, and the educational attainment of many of the African Americans who live and work in the metro Atlanta area, we still have some of the most segregated schools in the country.
Reality #2: Considering the above example, no one is doing anything to change this.
Reality #3: Many high-ranking education officials are aware of the disparities and played-out ‘achievement gap’ but are slow to react, if they react at all.
Reality #4: Too many people are content with their titles, Benz, and house in the burbs. Once they leave the city, they forget about everyone else.
Reality #5: African Americans who admonish others for speaking-up against ‘the system’ for the sake of securing a future in said system. I was once told by an African American administrator, ”If you want to move-up in this system, you need to watch what you say.” I explained that I had no desire to move-up in that system. It wasn’t her fault; she didn’t choose how or where she was raised. That’s how I compartmentalized a lot of African American people I met who were raised in the South: They are victims of their stifling and submissive upbringings.
Add-up these realities and the final result = A disgrace to King’s ‘Dream’

Ohio State president is tops in public college pay - Jan. 18, 2010

Ohio State president is tops in public college pay - Jan. 18, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ohio State University is No. 1 again, but not in football or basketball. For the second year in a row, the school's president was the highest paid public university executive in the United States, according to a study published Monday.

The Chronicle of Higher Education said E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State's president, took home $1.6 million last year, up from $1.3 million in 2008.

Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington, was the second highest paid executive in the survey, with total compensation of over $900,000 last year. Patrick Harker, president of the University of Delaware, came in third with over $810,000 in total income.

Gee's office did not immediately respond to calls requesting comment. But The Chronicle said Gee is one of "a growing number" of presidents that have given money back to their institutions, saying he donated $320,850 to help endow a scholarship fund.

The Chronicle, a Washington-based publication focusing on education,surveyed total compensation -- defined as salary and benefits -- for top executives at 185 public universities.

Gee is the only public university president earning more than $1 million. By contrast, The Chronicle reported in November that 23 presidents of the nation's top private universities took home more than $1 million in 2008, the most recent year surveyed.

The survey found that compensation for public university execs overall increased at a much smaller rate in 2009 than in recent years. The median total compensation for chief executives last year was $436,111, up 2.3% from 2008. After adjusting for inflation, however, compensation rose 1.1%.

Bloomberg rips charter school bill

Bloomberg rips charter school bill:

"ALBANY - Legislative leaders defied Gov. Paterson and rolled out a last-minute charter school bill that critics like Mayor Bloomberg say will cost millions in federal aid.

The bill, introduced late Saturday night, would double the state's cap on charter schools to 400 but strips the city schools chancellor of his ability to issue new charters.

Paterson wants lawmakers to raise the charter school cap to 460 schools - allowing the state to qualify for maximum points in the competition for $700 million in federal Race to the Top grants."

Wake split on how to teach poor kids - Education - NewsObserver.com

Wake split on how to teach poor kids - Education - NewsObserver.com:

"RALEIGH -- There is no dispute that the Wake County school system needs to do a better job of educating low-income students, but emotional arguments flare over whether the answer is to end busing for diversity.

The Wake school board's new majority is calling for a return to neighborhood schools and pointing to a task force it has created to try to reduce suspensions and improve test scores and graduation rates among poor and minority students. Opponents of the majority counter that the task force doesn't make up for the de facto resegregation of schools they fear will take place if the diversity policy is eliminated.

The board's new majority has pledged to eliminate the diversity policy and is now controlling the direction of the state's largest school district."

Oregon to peg teacher ratings to student scores | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com

Oregon to peg teacher ratings to student scores | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com:

"Oregon for the first time plans to connect student test scores to the teachers responsible for those students and make the results available to teachers, principals and researchers to help them judge teachers' effectiveness.

Schools will be expected to use those results to improve teaching practices and could use them to help decide which teachers they should promote, give bonuses or let go.

Those plans are laid out in Oregon's application to win a $200 million share of the Obama administration's $4 billion Race to the Top fund.

To compete for the money, states must pledge to take several controversial steps that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan contends will lead to big gains in student achievement."

Companies donate 300 science books | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Companies donate 300 science books | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal:

"Fifth-graders at Minors Lane Elementary wasted no time digging into the piles of new science books stacked in their lab room.

Decoria Curry, 10, flipped through one titled “Not a Drop to Drink: Water for a Thirsty World” by Michael Burgan.

The book was one of 55 science literacy books donated Friday to the school through a partnership between the Louisville Water Co. and CH2M Hill.

“I like science because you get to do experiments,” Decoria said. “This is great so that we can have more books about water for when we want to know stuff about water."

Roundtable looks at racial, ethnic disparities in education | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Roundtable looks at racial, ethnic disparities in education | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"PROVIDENCE — When Jim E. Albert visits other schools for sports meets or academic competitions, he can see the difference between the haves and the have-nots.

In inner-city schools, he said, he sees few if any computers in classrooms, students use outdated books, and buildings are old and musty.

But in the suburbs, said Albert, a 17-year-old senior at North Providence High School, he sees schools that look more like his own: televisions and computers in each classroom, well-lit corridors and clean locker rooms.

“This shouldn’t be happening in our schools,” Albert said. “We need to start with equality in our schools. When we have that, we can begin to build a more just and equal society.”"

Girls' academic hopes disrupted as family plans return to Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com

Girls' academic hopes disrupted as family plans return to Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com:

"When Hussna Azamy was 5, she began her schooling in the living room of her family's apartment in Herat, Afghanistan. Her only classmate was a sister; their teachers were their parents. For up to five hours a day, they studied the Dari alphabet, fundamentals of math and science, and how to read the Koran."



Hussna and her older sister, Farah, came of school age in Afghanistan in the 1990s, when it was forbidden to educate girls and most of the country's schools had been destroyed. They yearned to see the inside of an actual school.
Their aspirations became real after the Taliban fell in 2001, and later, they carried their academic dreams thousands of miles to a country with one of the world's most renowned education systems.
But after less than a year in the United States -- where Hussna, 17, and her younger sister, Tamana, 13, quickly became A students in Prince William County schools -- the family plans to return to Afghanistan. Their father wants to help rebuild his country, work he has been unable to find here.

EducationNews.org - Obama's billions give school reform shot in arm

EducationNews.org - Obama's billions give school reform shot in arm

To compete for a share of $4 billion in federal education funds, California lawmakers approved a major school reform plan. But in Texas, the governor chose to opt out of the competition, arguing that it would give Washington too much power over education policy.


Obama's billions give school reform shot in arm

Virginia, D.C. will be among applicants for Race to the Top funds.


To compete for a share of $4 billion in federal education funds, California lawmakers approved a major school reform plan. But in Texas, the governor chose to opt out of the competition, arguing that it would give Washington too much power over education policy.

The contrasting approaches from the two most populous states show the political tensions the Obama administration's initiative has provoked as the first application deadline for the Race to the Top school reform fund approaches Tuesday. Virginia and the District are competing in round one, but Maryland is waiting for round two later this year.


Many states have tinkered with laws and policies in recent months to improve their chances in a competition Obama launched last year to shake up the education establishment. California is among the most prominent: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has signed bills to facilitate the use of student test data to evaluate teachers and to take aggressive steps to turn around struggling schools. One provision gives parents the power to bring about change directly through a petition drive.


The influential California Teachers Association opposed elements of the legislation. But there appears to be bipartisan support for the state's application.