Levister notes, however, that many members of the California teachers' union did not want the Race to the Top funds anyway. This is because Race to the Top emphasizes achievement on standardized testing. Not all educators agree that pushing test achievement scores is a meaningful way to improve the public education system in America. "The union had opposed for example, basing teacher evaluations on standardized tests they say are flawed," (Levister). It is likely that even some states with more solid proposals for reform will not be eligible for the Race to the Top funds. Governor Schwarzenegger had hoped that the funding would come through for his state. Race for the Top is in many ways like a pool of athletes, only a few of which receive corporate sponsorship. The sponsored athletes are almost guaranteed to come out ahead in the long run, as their performance will be linked to increased access to top quality training facilities, gear, and coaching. In spite of its flaws, Race to the Top does create reasonable performance measures for educators and administrators. The White House claims that Race to the Top will be instrumental in "expanding effective support to teachers and principals; reforming and improving teacher preparation; revising teacher evaluation, compensation, and retention policies to encourage and reward...

Again, financial incentive is the core of the Race to the Top initiative. One of the main parameters of Race to the Top is "tying teacher and principal pay -- and school assignments -- to student test scores," (Toppo). Teachers and principles who make results happen in their schools will be richly rewarded under the Race to the Top program. This will demand more of all teachers, making pay linked not just to tenure but to performance.
Human resources is a core component of Race to the Top. Race to the Top partly focuses on "Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most," (United States Department of Education). As educators and their school systems race to the top, the students will ideally come out ahead. Race to the Top encourages students to reach their highest potentials.

The list of Race to the Top funding finalists was recently revealed. A Washington Post editorial strongly criticizes the decision as being