The New York Times is reporting that President Obama will attempt to shift the current media focus from political divides to his education competition, Race to the Top, by a trip to Wisconsin.  In the hopes of gathering support for his competition, Obama will visit one of the few states that cannot lawfully link student acheivement with teacher assessment.  The Race for the Top concept is a good one:  encouraging states to revamp their age-old education systems with an enticing monetary reward for excellence.  My concern for this competition is that, as with most competitions, there will be a lot of prep work put into the project.  There will be a lot of creativity and ingenuity that will likely change the face of education.  But will there be a lot of longevity?  Will the changes and adjustments that are being made to our education system work in the long-term?  Competition requires perfection of performance within a specific time-frame, but what we really need is to train for a marathon. If our education system is so bad, we need to focus on making lasting changes that will effect, not just the classroom, but the homes, the families, and the individuals who will need to be active participants in this change.   In effect, to change the education system will mean to change the very culture we live in.  This type of change doesn't come from a competition, it comes from a marathon.  It comes as a result of diligence, perseverance, slow-paced, well-trained change.  It doesn't present itself with a lot of flash and surprise, but with stability and predictability.  I'm afraid that, in the end, the Race to the Top may be a Race to the Flop.