Our Kids are Worth the Trouble

President Obama knows a good idea when he sees it regardless of political affiliation. He is not departing from the educational policy set forth by George Bush which attempts to steer schools and districts toward methods of teaching reading that have been validated through scientific inquiry and clinical trials. That is precisely what Race to the Top attempts to do. Yet some are complaining that retooling to meet federal guidelines in order to qualify for funds under Rtt is more trouble than it's worth. They just don't get it. This is true reform, the kind that can make a difference in a kid's life. That's worth all the trouble in the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/opinion/08thu2.html

Feds Reject Wisconsin's Race to the Top Application

To his credit, President Obama has shown he is serious about requiring that states adhere to rigid standards before throwing federal dollars in their direction. Wisconsin found this out the hard way by submitting a woefully inadequate Race to the Top application. Among its improprieties was a failure to embrace early literacy instruction proven most effective through the introspective lens of investigative science. Wisconsin has played political gamesmanship over this issue for some time, turning its collective back on parents of struggling readers who have literally begged for research-based reading reform measures. How long will it take for Wisconsin and other states to lay politics aside and adopt methods that are most likely to guarantee their children's literacy futures?