RACE TO THE TOP

January 25, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

RACE TO THE TOP

Carrot: Up to $400 million in federal aid for Ohio schools, part of $4.3 billion in federal stimulus dollars, a funding stream dubbed “Race to the Top.”

Stick: Schools applying for the money must agree to several government requirements, such as annual teacher evaluations.

Takers: Out of 600-plus Ohio districts, 266 applied for the money.

Quotable: “We felt ’Race to the Top’ was simply not a good fit because of the uncertainty and contract concerns.” — A.J. Huff, Madison Local Schools’ grant writer and spokesman.