In my column today, I argue for a forceful effort from Washington state in competing for a Race to the Top education grant. President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are using a $4 billion pot of money to spur education reform efforts around the country. Race to the Top education grants are hotly sought after by states that have largely blown through more than a billion in economic stimulus spending on education.

Unravel the strands of education reform and it will lead straight to Sen. Ted Kennedy whose death last night illuminates an outsized legacy on civil rights remade public education as an equal opportunity for all children. He died after a year spent battling brain cancer. From his perch as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Kennedy pushed legislation and his colleagues to make public schools inclusive and a first step on the path to toward the American dream. I can't think of a single significant step in public education that doesn't bear Kennedy's fingerprints.

Much will be said about how Kennedy's death will impact the future of health care reform. This article spoke of an important education effort left in limbo by the absence of Kennedy's influence.

Democrat, Republican or politically agnostic, it is difficult to ignore the giant hole left by Kennedy's passing.

One more thing: I love what Kati Haycock says about Kennedy's passing. President of the national advocacy group, Education Trust, Haycock's words can also be used to guide the direction of education reform.

"Sen. Ted Kennedy realized, before almost anyone else, that getting access to education for poor and minority students wasn't enough -- especially if the quality of that education was substandard.

We educators and advocates working to close gaps in educational opportunity and achievement owe much to his courageous voice for simple justice. He stood with us well before our cause was popular. He recruited allies and partners in some of the most surprising places. He supported us when the road was rough. But perhaps most important, he constantly pushed us, challenging all who serve America's children to do better by them, especially the most vulnerable." Haycock's words were published in The Washington Post.