Gov. Rick Perry's announcement today that he is refusing to compete for federal Race to the Top education dollars for education made Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie angry. But two of the state's major teacher organizations -- the Texas Classroom Teachers Association and the Texas American Federation of Teachers -- stand with Perry on the issue.

Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, explained the teacher organizations' support for Perry's decision. "Race to the Top is the first step in federalizing our Texas school systems and imposing a national high-stakes test on our children and teachers," she said. "This is not acceptable. We support Governor Perry in his refusal to sell our schools to Washington for less than $75 per student

Texas would have been required to commit to national education standards and tests and to incur ongoing costs in order to be eligible for the funds. That means that states like Texas would have to abandon locally established curriculum standards and start anew with nationally established ones. In Texas, the elected State Board of Education, utilizing input from the public and from the state's teachers, votes on standards. The Texas Education Agency, headed up by Commissioner Robert Scott, implements those standards.

That process, of course, costs money, and the state has already made considerable expenditure in preparing the upcoming curriculum standards.

Said Perry upon his announcement today:
 

Texas is on the right path toward improved education, and we would be foolish and irresponsible to place our children’s future in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and special interest groups thousands of miles away in Washington, virtually eliminating parents’ participation in their children’s education. If Washington were truly concerned about funding education with solutions that match local challenges, they would make the money available to states with no strings attached.

Scott said he "wholeheartedly" supports Perry's decision. "This one-time grant program would result in mandates for districts that would last for decades." In the upcoming issue of the Lone Star Report, Scott talks with us about Texas' interactions with the Obama Administration regarding the Race to the Top funds, and sheds possible light on how Perry reached his decision.

Perry's decision has a lot of people sounding off, some not happy (many of whom are quoted in Perry's release), and some not so happy.

Jeri Stone, executive director and general counsel of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, is happy:
 

The Texas Classroom Teachers Association supports the decision of Governor Perry and Commissioner Scott to decline to seek funds under the federal Race to the Top program. Texas public schools need enhanced funding, but the limited funding and potentially harmful policy requirements associated with Race to the Top are, in our view, likely to result in a net cost to Texas education. The loss of autonomy and flexibility that are essential to meet the needs of Texas students is simply not worth it.

The Texas American Federation of Teachers is happy:
 

The potential Texas grant under Race to the Top rules would at most add a one-time bump equaling less than 2 percent of the state’s current biennial funding for public education. The prospect of such a modest and fleeting contribution to the state budget for public schools cannot justify the adoption of policies that would be detrimental to Texas public education for the long term. Texas AFT remains ready and willing to partner with the state and local school districts in the pursuit of education reform. And we don’t need Race to the Top grants, with unwise strings attached, to carry on this important work.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie is not happy:
 

What kind of Texan is not willing to compete for his children? It’s widely acknowledged our schools don’t have adequate funding, and hundreds of school districts were forced to raise local taxes, lay off teachers or eliminate programs due to the Governor’s 2006 state education funding freeze. It’s clear Rick Perry is more concerned with trying to be Governor for life than he is with the 4.8 million children who attend our Texas schools.

Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) is happy:
 

I support Governor Perry's decision to not apply for the Race to the Top grant funds, which is another example of heavy handed Washington politics. It’s clear that they are more concerned about expanding their power than helping kids in Texas schools.

House Democratic Caucus Leader Jim Dinnam (D-Waco) is not happy:
 

By throwing in the towel before the competition has even begun, Governor Perry has officially won the race to the bottom. … Rick Perry's decision to decline to submit Texas' application will have a devastating impact on our children. While I don’t necessarily agree with all the scoring provisions in the Race to the Top Funds, I know a good deal when I see one. Competing for grants that will incentivize our state to lower the achievement gap, decrease the drop-out rate, and better prepare Texas children for college is good public policy. … It's a shame that Governor Perry is putting the education of 4.8 million schoolchildren on the line for his reelection campaign.

House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands) is happy:
 

Texas has been working to implement research-based education reforms for years, culminating with great solutions for Texas children, and we should qualify for Race to the Top funding based on what we have already accomplished. Instead, Texas will be penalized in its Race to the Top application for not complying with the federal government’s concepts about what is best for the children of Texas. In short, the two things I worry about in education are fads and feds, and this combines both.

Brooke Terry, senior education policy analyst for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, is happy:
 

In Texas, we have increased the rigor of our K-12 curriculum to better prepare students for college, and these federal funds come with strings that could undo these improvements and hurt our children’s ability to learn. Education is a state issue, and the federal government has no business dictating academic standards or curriculum to states.

Bill Hammond, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, is happy:
 

While TAB believes that maintaining a strong and competitive workforce through education is a high priority for the state, we support the governor’s decision to keep decisions about our public education system at the state level. Gov. Perry is right to be concerned about mandates coming from the federal government that are tied to this relatively small amount of funding, which will commit the state to increased costs in the future.