Stafford Palmieri

It’s been a week since the Education Department announced the winners of Race to the Top’s first round. And in that week, there’s been much speculation over why these two states, Delaware and Tennessee, overcame the competition. This federal competitive grant program was part of the stimulus package, and bestowed upon the ED $4.3 billion to award to states for exemplary school reform initiatives. Delaware came away with $100 million and Tennessee, $500 million. States were graded on a 500-point scale. (more)

Last Tuesday was the due date for first-round applications for President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top Fund. It was also the day Obama announced he’d ask for another $1.35 billion in the FY2011 budget to continue the program a third year. Coincidence? No. A good idea? Doubtful. (more)

On his “Listening and Learning Tour” stop in Detroit last May, Education Secretary Arne Duncan called Detroit “New Orleans without Katrina.” The comparison makes sense; Motor City is plagued by many of the same afflictions of its pre-2005 Southern cousin: corruption, financial mismanagement, and a school system in ruins. The contrast falls short, however, in one important way: Starting over, especially in education. (more)