Five Best Blogs: States' "Race" Timelines Were "Overly Optimistic"

Assessing the Progress of Race to the Top New America: Many states have found that their original timelines were “overly optimistic” and have had to rework the planned roll out of different efforts. 

Academic Exceptionalism Amanda Ripley:  They are no-stakes for kids, who are likely to experience far more agonizing over real life’s setbacks on the football field than they do in the classroom.

Alternative certification isn't alternative, redux. NCTQ:  It sure seems as though the [training program] directors are more focused on teacher production than teacher quality. 

 Why Not Here? Andywonk:  I don’t want to imply that teachers’ union leaders are not committed to the success of public education.  

Research Calvinball Sherman Dorn: You don't get to learn anything new in your career if you not only are 100% correct but you always were and always will be. 

Being Run Down Doesn't Sound So Bad Tom Hoffman: Neither Alter nor Tilson have the slightest idea what's actually happening on the ground all over the country.