I'm sure many of you have at least heard of Obama's new Race To the Top (RTTT) initiative to help the nation's public schools improve. It's been in state news a lot due to last week's deadline for districts (and teacher's unions) to sign on for a chance at some big $$$. Only five districts' unions signed on.
Why? Well mainly because RTTT is still an idea, not a completed framework. School boards would be required to scrap current (mostly working) programs for unknown but surely "research-based" ones that would require even more standardized testing (and I've already given six standards tests this year with three more coming up in the next three weeks). Here's the kicker: the money given to the states would not cover the costs of implimenting the new programs. "What?" you may be asking yourself. "How does that make sense?" Well, it doesn't. And since unions seem to have better memories than their school board counterparts, they are asking that very obvious question too and refusing to sign on. It's the simple "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" philosophy. Because we've done this before with the feds: NCLB anyone? Title I funding? All fed money comes with thick ropes attached.
But this is where it gets interesting. Florida's mostly Republican legislature has been really excited about RTTT and publicly browbeat the FEA for refusing to sign on without more information. It's been funny to watch such staunch conservatives grab for these Obama dollars. Why would they want Obama money anyhow? Think carefully (*cough* Florida Lottery money ringing any bells? *cough*) and I bet you can figure it out.
Well, someone finally called them on it. Florida's Tenth Amendment Center (yes, it is as conservative as you imagine) wrote an article condemning the lawmakers' "picking and choosing what it considers to be intrusive federal law based on monetary return." I've never been one to agree with crazy state sovereignty supporters, but come on. When even Texas refuses to sign on, you know something is wrong.
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