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LAUSD has just announced that it was sending in its $40 million Race to the Top Application today, despite the fact that UTLA refused to sign off on it.

“Although UTLA refused to be a partner in this critically important grant,” said Deasy in a press release, “I will advocate for it on behalf of the administrators, students, and faculty of this District.  To that end, I have instructed staff to submit an application with all required signatures except that of the teacher’s union.”

You can read the full press release here.  You can read Deasy’s letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan here via KPCC. The Obama administration established the district-focused version of Race to the Top in order to give access to districts in states like California that had not applied for or won Race to the Top funding.

Update: According to Barbara Jones of the Daily News, the U.S. Department of Education considers the application incomplete without UTLA’s endorsement.

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