(AEI) Either Duncan will have to admit he handed out 4 billion borrowed bucks on the basis of unenforceable paper plans, or he'll have to start trying to strong-arm states by holding new governors and state education chiefs to the commitments of their predecessors--and clawing back dollars from states that don't comply. Neither of those scenarios is too appealing.
(AEI) That was another $4.35 billion poorly spent. Last week, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the winners of the second and final round of the administration’s heavily promoted and widely cheered Race to the Top school-reform program. Unfortunately, after all the headlines and hullabaloo, the results were so dismal they threatened to bring the entire exercise into disrepute. (Read more…)