Last July President Obama tackled educational reform with a big announcement. States embracing school reform and innovation would win a portion of that money. But as we learned yesterday, that’s easier said than done. Illinois was a finalist in the first round of grants, along with 14 other states and the District of Columbia. But despite passing laws to meet Race to the Top guidelines, our application failed to pass muster.

For more insight on where we may have missed the mark, we turn now to Lesli Maxwell. She’s a staff writer with Education Week.

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