Here’s a summary of DFER in the news:

Christian Science Monitor, "Education Reform: California To Join Race To The Top Rush," Jan. 5, 2010:

"I've been doing federal education policy for 17 years, and I've never seen anything like this," says Charles Barone, director of federal policy for Democrats for Education Reform, an advocacy group that has been tracking states' efforts. "Usually it's exactly the opposite: Money gets sent out, and then the federal government tries to compel states to do what they made a commitment to doing.... There's been more state legislation [around education reform] in the last eight months than there was in the entire seven or eight years of No Child Left Behind, in terms of laws passed."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "State Lagging In Race For Education Funding," January 3, 2010:

Meanwhile, other states are successfully passing last-minute education reform measures as they try to take advantage of hundreds of millions of dollars in extra education funding, and that may eclipse Wisconsin's efforts, said Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform.

"As good as things looked a month or two ago for states like Wisconsin (which passed four education reform bills in November), Wisconsin is now in a position where, if it doesn't take some drastic steps on things like mayoral control, it's going to be hard for them to make a strong case," said Williams, whose group has been tracking states' efforts in Race to the Top maneuvering.

Education Week, "Two State Unions Balking At 'Race To Top' Plans," Dec. 30, 2009:

"We're bumping up against a reality where the teaching profession is resisting doing a lot of things that are pretty sensible," said Charles Barone, the director of federal policy for Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee that has been highly critical of teachers' unions. "We're in for a showdown. The unions aren't going to give in most cases, and I think the [Obama] administration is going to have to see what it's got in front of it."