President Barack Obama’s signature education initiative has encouraged the overhaul of state laws governing charter schools, teacher evaluations and student-testing systems.
But ahead of the Tuesday deadline for states to apply for the second phase of Race to the Top, some education reformers were complaining the changes have not been as bold or widespread as expected.
“It’s the dog that didn’t bark,” said Andy Smarick, a former education department official under George W. Bush who supports the initiative. “I don’t want to underplay what has happened, but we have not seen revolutionary changes from coast to coast.”