35 states, Washington, D.C., seek Race to the Top funds

From The Wall Street Journal: Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia applied for the second phase of the Race to the Top federal education competition as the June 1 application deadline passed. The states are hoping to win a piece of the $3.4 billion available under President Barack Obama's signature education initiative. Race to the Top aims to spur innovation by rewarding states that promote charter schools, tie teacher pay to student achievement and intervene in low-performing schools. Forty states and Washington, D.C., applied in the first round, but only Delaware and Tennessee won. They received a total of $600 million.