Joel Klein with a well-deserved shout-out for parents who fought for their kids (and DFER):

At the same time, the Empire State made no such progress. It's no wonder that New York finished 15th out of 16 in the final round of the first Race to the Top funding competition.

Flash forward four months and things have changed.

The state Legislature yesterday voted to increase the statewide limit on charters from 200 to a remarkable 460.

What's changed?

I think a New York Post news piece actually captured it best the day the state's first Race to the Top application was due, way back in January: "Angry parents yesterday ripped Albany."

You see, nothing will get in the way of parents who know they can do better by their children.

Since that day, thousands of parents have attended school enrollment lotteries, organized rallies, and led petition drives to make sure they get the charter seat they want and deserve.

There are 40,000 students on New York City charter school wait lists. It was only a matter of time before they stood up to be counted.

Yesterday's cap lift is due to the remarkable work of many people: Gov. Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, Chancellor Merryl Tisch, Commissioner David Steiner, and Joe Williams of Education Reform Now among them.

But more than anyone else, it is due to parents who banded together to say that enough is enough.

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http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/parents_earn_an_for_helping_make_isQsXC0vHbDbdl9c0gE7fI