Late last year, the Michigan legislature decided that the perfect fix for their out of control spending was to go to the federal government for more money. Race to the Top is a contest, yes you read the right, a contest where states compete with each other for federal funding for education. They have to enact reforms, create plans for action, then submit the application and wait to see if they “won”. In the usual spirit of transparency, we, as citizens, were not allowed to see the application before it was submitted. Earlier this week, the completed 631 page application, in which Michigan once again gets down on it’s knees and begs was released to the public, you can download it here. Even though they passed the reform legislation and submitted the application under the guise of “saving the children”, it is imperative that the citizens are fully aware of the implications of accepting this money (assuming we are in fact picked to “win”). Make sure you take a little time to get the dirty details on what accepting Race to the Top funding would include, especially the vague reference to “international benchmarks” which would allow an entity outside the country to determine what we need to teach in our schools. Essentially the funding is a carrot on a stick, and has the potential to be very dangerous for students in Michigan’s schools.