The Associated Press reports today that President Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan are traveling to Wisconsin to promote the Race to the Top program as "Wisconsin lawmakers are poised to change a law to boost their state's chances at $5 billion in education grants."

Not in New York.

The AP's Libby Quaid writes that nine other states have made statutory changes for the same purpose: Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Delaware, Rhode Island, Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut and California.

Not New York.

"Obama will use the trip to Wisconsin to call attention to actions states are taking" the AP writes, from its discussion with the President's domestic policy director, Melody Barnes.

It's hard to imagine the current do-nothing strategy of Governor Paterson and the Regents is going to fly with the Obama Administration. Next week's legislative session is set to deal with the Governor's deficit reduction plan. However, this session also is perfectly timed to deal with positioning the state for Race-to-the-Top funding, but the Governor has offered nothing so far.

Instead, we get this don't-worry-we're okay-I-spoke-to-Arne mantra from higher-ups. But being presumptuous is not a sound strategy, especially with so many other states taking this federal initiative so seriously.

New York policymakers--and you know who you are--take note. The President is going to Wisconsin, not New York.

Peter Murphy
for The Chalkboard