State falls short in Race to the Top

Well, in a not-s0-surprising announcement by Education Secretary Arne Duncan yesterday, it was revealed that Mississippi didn't make the cut for Race to the Top Funds. Some would say that Mississippi is not progressive enough to institute the reforms that Race to the Top funding would require, as suggested by the Clarion Ledger. It seems odd to me that states are being denied Race to the Top money because they aren't "progressive enough". It doesn't make sense that some of the states that need the most help when it comes to education are being cut. Kentucky is a finalist, but as one critic points out in the WSJ , some people are upset about this inclusion because Kentucky isn't progressive enough to embrace charter schools. It makes me wonder the way that the money is being siphoned down to only certain states.

Regardless of how progressive we are in Mississippi, one thing is for certain and that is that we are wary of reforms that would link salaries to test scores. While the MS DOE may be moaning about not becoming a finalist for Race to the Top, many are heaving a sigh of relief.