Good for AFT Massachusetts

for basically telling Obama and Arne to shove it:

The state’s second-largest teachers union organization, which represents teachers in Boston and other big cities, has decided to boycott Massachusetts’ application for the Obama administration’s innovative educational fund, possibly jeopardizing $250 million in grants.

The move, approved Saturday by the board of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, stunned state education leaders, key legislators, and charitable organizations that work on education issues.

Word of the vote began circulating yesterday after the teachers federation sent an e-mail late Monday night to state education officials saying that both the statewide organization and its locals would not sign the application for the Race to the Top program, established by the Obama administration to reward states pursuing classroom innovations and aggressive overhauls of failing schools.

In addition to Boston, the federation represents teachers in some of the most distressed districts, such as Lawrence, Lynn, and Lowell.