South Carolina Superintendent of Education Mick Zais may not want any part of the third round of Race to the Top, but local school officials sure do.

The Associated Press is reporting that if Zais doesn’t change his mind, the state associations representing school administrators and school boards want to apply for the money themselves.

I hate to break it to them, but I can’t fathom how this would be allowed. The money is to go to states, per the federal law, not to groups within states. Remember, ex-Superintendent Ramon Cortines tried this tactic, too, for L.A. Unified, and it didn’t work. Just in case, I’m waiting for an official answer on this from the U.S. Department of Education.