Yes, we are “racing to the top.” Has anyone defined “the top”? Who is “racing”? Racing to higher test scores? Who will cross the finish line first? Does the “race” have anything to do with education?

A reader writes today:

The peons are being thrown crumbs again today and the elites are watching them scramble to be the winner in the latest Race to the Top!
\”Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap\” from Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/12/government-opens-competit_0_n_1769172.html?utm_hp_ref=education

They really do see this as a sports competition. In an interview in the Newark Star-Ledger published August 5th,
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/08/arne_duncan_better_education_s.html
Arne Duncan was asked:
Q. How important are the structural reforms, like promoting charter schools, when compared to personnel issues, just finding the best teachers and principals?
A. If you just had a lot of Michael Jordans, structure wouldn’t matter. But we don’t have enough Michael Jordans.