That’s what it’s starting to look like, at least if the rumors swirling around Washington have any merit. While I strongly doubt that Arne Duncan will put Wendy Kopp, Jon Schnur, and Andy Rotherham in his 1, 2, and 3 spots , it’s conceivable that the reform crowd will win the "personnel is policy" game (just not by a landslide). But even more interesting is the news that the "stimulus" package will include an $80 billion fund for education–on top of the $100 billion or so of state bailout funds that will find their way to local school coffers. This sounds like the "education community’s" dream come true. It’s like fully funding NCLB, IDEA, and then some, all in one fell swoop.

So the reformers get to make "policy" for the next four years. That’s small potatoes compared to the stimulus-driven federal largesse, which has the potential to retard reform bigtime. (Reformers who doubt that are kidding themselves.)

If I ran the teachers unions and the other edu-blobby groups, I’d take this deal in a heartbeat.

Related posts:

1. Progressive education reformers: Give the GOP its due