Racing To The Top: Sunshine On A Cloudy Race?

Florida has made some of their Race to the Top materials public.  And it’s useful to see because it shows the seriousness about reform in some of the states that are competing.   The entire MOU is worth reading — especially if you’re a state wondering how serious this all is.

Per Andy Smarick’s comments on teachers’ contracts, below is language from the MOU Florida plans to use for school districts (pdf).   Good that this is out there because if states are coming in with language like this then no one (the administration or the states) will have a place to hide on the hard issues.  This is tight and serious language.  In the old days it would have only been the first sentence…that second sentence is for real:

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESPONSIBILITIES: The parties to any applicable collective bargaining agreement will use their best efforts to negotiate any terms and conditions in the agreement necessary for the full implementation of the State Plan. The parties understand that the failure to negotiate any term or condition in a collective bargaining agreement necessary for full implementation of the State Plan will result in termination of the grant.

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