Obama pokes Rick Perry with a stick.

President Obama gently rebuked Texas Gov. Rick Perry's decision not to participate in the administration's "Race to the Top" education reform program Tuesday, in remarks on school reform during a visit to Virginia.

Announcing a new $1.35 billion investment to expand the program to allow local school districts to compete for grants, Obama said: "Innovative districts like the one in Texas whose reform efforts are being stymied by state decision-makers will soon have the chance to earn funding to help them pursue those reforms."

Last week, Perry declared that "Race to the Top" intruded on states' rights. In a letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the governor argued that participating would only win $75 per student in one-time funding for Texas, while imposing long-term costs to implement national standards.

"Prohibiting states from adopting more comprehensive and rigorous curriculum standards at a time when our nation’s students are preparing to complete in an increasingly vast global marketplace is counterproductive," he wrote. "Placing such limitations on states also undercuts the very competition that results in higher standards for all."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0110/calling_out_perry_e8cdf2c2-1774-42ca-b352-e7bd5af1e82a.html