LANSING -- "This is about winning the race."

With that, State Superintendent Mike Flanagan took his stance Thursday at the state Capitol: He wants Michigan to compete -- and compete all-out -- for the federal government's newest program: 'Race to the Top.'

"Do we want to protect the status quo because there's some fear in change? Or do we want to lead this?" Flanagan asked members of the House Education Committee.

Change is precisely what the federal government is hoping to encourage. The Race to the Top program will award $4 billion dollars in grants to the states that enact the most -- and best -- innovative education reforms. Michigan could get as much as $400 million -- if it wins.

"Now that you're dangling a half-a-billion dollars in our face at a time that we're having economic struggles, to me it's something that's imperative," says state Rep. Tim Melton (D), who cairs the education committee and supports Flanagan's push to compete.

But Flanagan says, in order to qualify for that race to the top money, the state would have to enact serious education-reform legislation. That includes a controversial new measure to hold teachers more accountable for student performance.

"The teachers -- they want to be accountable, as long as it's not unfair, and as long as it's only one piece," Flanagan argues. "There are other factors that should be in the evaluation."

Federal education officials say stricter teacher evaluation standards are a must to compete in the race. And the prerequisites don't stop there. According to the competition guidelines, states must also enact legislation to:

1. Turn around failing schools
2. Invest more in the development of charter schools.
3. Provide alternative certification routes -- like Teach for America -- to aspiring teachers.

And flanagan says that's still not quite enough.

"We need some icing on the cake," he says. "Because look at what Colorado is doing, look at what these other states are doing; they're going past the minimums. That's who we're competing with."

Michigan has 60 days to pass the needed legislation and complete its application.