“So far, 11 states have moved to change laws or policies that might undermine their chances of winning, administration officials said.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, signed a law Tuesday aiming to expand the number of high-quality charter schools within the state. Tennessee and Illinois also have loosened charterschool restrictions.
Charter schools, which are backed by Obama and Duncan, operate under contracts with school districts and are exempt from certain state and local regulations that govern traditional public schools.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, signed legislation this month that would let schools use student-achievement data in evaluations of teachers and principals. A Wisconsin law enacted in November also would link student gains to teacher evaluations.
Race to the Top grant rules bar states from applying for grants if they don’t let schools link performance data to teacher evaluations. Duncan and Obama have long pressed for merit-pay programs that reward teachers for student gains. “