UFT blogger David Dashefsky claims that charter school advocates exaggerated the importance of the charter issue in the Race to the Top:
”Given the relatively small number of points available [on the rubric for charter schools], one could only reach the conclusion that the charter cap issue was decisive if you assumed that RttT was a politicized process in which the rubric was nothing more than window dressing.”
Er, no. Ever seen a long race decided by a yard? Or a basketball game decided by free throws? When the contest is close, every point matters.
As if on cue, EdWeek’s Michele McNeil reports from DC:
”Apparently, the point spread is so close that these state presentations, in which teams of five will make their closing arguments to the peer reviewers, will determine who wins millions, and who leaves empty-handed.”
Fortunately, US DOE will release the scored rubrics for everyone to see. How many points did New York missóin any categoryódue to charter school policy, and would they have made the difference? We’ll find out soon enough.
Meanwhile, in the days remaining before New York’s presentation, it isn’t too late to give David Steiner something to talk about.
