Forgive this bit of peevishness, but what in blue blazes is the Department of Education thinking in leaving Michigan off its list of "Race to the Top" qualifiers?

As Gongwer reported: 

Despite getting all the state teacher unions on board and making other changes to the application, Michigan was once again not selected as a finalist to compete for federal grants to assist with education reforms.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia made the list of "Race to the Top" finalists: Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

Michigan had hoped to win $400 million to implement the school reforms it passed in December. Instead, it was one of 17 states that failed even to become a finalist.

The state will continue moving forward with reforms anyway, Governor Jennifer Granholm said ...

I think I speak for all of Michigan when I say, "What are we, chopped liver? Can you think of a state more in need than Michigan, where the Great Recession has hit harder, where more kids are suffering for lack of better schools?"

Those are rhetorical questions, of course. Sadly, we know the answer to each and every one of them.

No.

Andrew Heller is Media Director for the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.