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Superintendent John Deasy submitted the district’s Race to the Top application to Washington yesterday without the support of UTLA — and without any real chance of wining approval — largely to score political points against the teachers union, according to Board-watchers.

“I think both sides are ready to fight each other full steam on Tuesday [after the election],” said one insider who didn’t want to be named. “He’s just smarter and more nimble than UTLA, so he started throwing a few punches. ”

“It is a publicity stunt,” said another observer. “There was no tangible chance of it getting approved.” [Indeed, the U.S. Department of Education rejected the application almost immediately.]

Deasy also knew he had Board members on the record in support of the proposal. As he references in his letter to Secretary Duncan, the Board voted unanimously in support of the district’s Race to the Top application just last month, on October 9th.

Previous posts: Chicago Teachers Approve “Race” Application, LAUSD Applies Without Union Support, Update: Cautious Union, Sad Superintendent, Union Unmoved by Hurricane Extension