DFER's Joe Williams with an op ed in Newsday on what steps NY still needs to take to actually win RTTT:

With Tuesday's announcement of 19 new Race to the Top finalists, New York is one step closer to winning $700 million in education funding for its public school students.

Although we can see the finish line, we haven't won yet. In fact there's still much work to be done at the state level before we show that we deserve the funding.

Winning the federal "Race" has always been predicated on two big-picture conditions. First, states needed to adopt education reforms designed to improve failing schools, bolster student achievement, and get kids ready for college and the workforce. All reforms had to have been passed and included in each state's application, which was due June 1.

Second, states had to outline the actual steps they would take to put new systems in place - and demonstrate that the political will and resources would be available to carry them out. As federal reviewers interview the finalists in the coming weeks in Washington, implementation of reform will be a key factor in selecting the winners.

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