LAS VEGAS –President Obama’s signature education reform initiative is known as “Race to the Top,” which evokes images of state and school district leaders scrambling to outdo each other on their way to better, more effective public schools.

The latest round of the president’s plan will award a total of $400 million to individual school districts that come up with compelling school reform proposals. Given that most public schools are facing budget deficits, there are a lot of school leaders who would like some of that cash.

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But the reality is a growing number of school districts are dropping out of the “race” and hitting the showers early simply because their local teachers union refuses to cooperate with their reform proposals.

Under the rules of Race to the Top, school districts may still submit a reform proposal that doesn’t have support from the local teachers union, but the chances of winning a federal grant becomes much less likely.

Nevada’s Clark County School District is the latest to hit the wall in its bid for millions in K-12 aid.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the district’s “$40 million Race to the Top ended before it began, pulled off the starting line by its teachers union.”

“The Clark County Education Association (the local teachers union), which has been at odds with the district for two years over teacher salaries and benefits, has refused to sign off on the district’s federal grant application. That stops the district dead in its tracks,” the Review-Journal reports.

Union leader John Vellardita lamented the loss of “resourcing opportunities” and blamed the district for freezing out the CCEA from the proposal process.

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CCSD official Kim Wooden rejected the union’s argument by noting that the district reached out to the CCEA on seven different occasions to help craft the proposal.

Wooden said union leaders “chose not to participate in the formation of the grant” and said the “association (is) effectively blocking the district from applying for $40 million,” reports the Las Vegas Sun.

The district had hoped to use the money on classroom technology that would have enhanced student learning. The district also planned to hire 22 teachers and 24 support staff members, mostly to help at-risk English Language Learners, the Sun reports.

It’s no big surprise that the CCEA would leave students high and dry – it has a history of doing so – but it’s odd that the union would hamstring a proposal that could have resulted in dozens of new union members. Why would the CCEA be willing to leave those dues dollars on the table?

“We’re absolutely disappointed that the union leadership has chosen to play vendetta politics to block much-needed resources to the classroom,” district spokesperson Amanda Fulkerson said. “The irony here is we – the district as well as the union leadership – would like to see more resources in the district. This money would have gone directly to classrooms to support teachers.”

This, of course, speaks to the inherent flaw in President Obama’s Race to the Top program. By including his teacher union friends in the reform process, the president unwittingly allowed small-minded teacher union leaders to control who wins and loses this particular race.

At this rate, the president’s $400 million reform race feels about as meaningful as a professional wrestling match.