The Answer Sheet: Maryland schools

There's an interesting item in the 2014 supplemental budget that Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has submitted: A request for $500,000 in "additional funds for non-public school textbooks." What is this all about?

Education officials in state after state are moving to contort their elementary and secondary school systems to align with the priorities of Education Secretary Arne Duncan to win some of the $3 billion being dangled by the Obama administration in its Race to the Top competition. It is especially unfortunate to Maryland, a state with a well-regarded education system, promote reforms that include some that have no basis in research--or in common sense.