A clerical error--and the teachers union-- might have cost N.J. an education grant

Clerical error might have cost N.J. an education grant
Gov. Chris Christie's office is under fire for using the wrong data to fill out "Race to the Top" application
By GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press
Aug 25, 2010

For anyone who's ever entered the wrong number on a tax return and been denied a refund, or accidentally overtipped, here's some consolation: A silly error on New Jersey's application for the highly competitive Race to the Top education grants might have cost the state $400 million.

The federal government announced that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the coveted grants. New Jersey was the top runner-up...

But New Jersey lost all five points on one section in which officials were asked to show that the state gives a consistent percentage of its revenue to education. The application called for using data from 2008 and 2009 to make the case. New Jersey used figures from the 2010 and 2011 state budgets...

The governor also blamed the New Jersey Education Association, the state's main teachers union, for not supporting the application -- costing points that were given for having others in the state's education community on board...