By Jacque Day
Kentucky – The Kentucky Department of Education has submitted a Phase 2 application for a portion of $3.4 billion in federal Race to the Top funds. The request arrives in the nation's capital today. But Kentucky education commissioner Terry Holliday tells the Lexington Herald Leader, a lack of charter schools legislation could cause the commonwealth's score to fall short. Kentucky's revised application includes a plan to factor in student performance evaluations. But the deficiency in charter schools legislation also hurt Kentucky in Phase 1. Holliday hoped the General Assembly would consider charter schools during last week's special session, but the issue never made it onto the session call. This time, competition for Race to the Top isn't so stiff. Nine states did not submit applications. That leaves about two dozen, including Kentucky and Illinois, that have applied.