Katherine Mangu-Ward on the Eternal Recurrence of Race to the Top in the State of the Union

This year, in the State of the Union address, President Barack
Obama touted a success in reforming K-12 education in America:

Race to the Top, with the help of governors from both parties,
has helped states raise expectations and performance.  

And it’s true that Race to the Top has been a pretty
good program. But it was ultimately a pretty small reform and
the effects have petered out. 

But that hasn’t stopped the president from filing almost the
entire K-12 portion of the education sections of his State of the
Union addresses with a brag on Race to the Top, writes
Reason magazine Managing Editor Katherine
Mangu-Ward.

Every. Single. Year.

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