With the signing of the education reform by Governor Granhom, the state has been put in a better spot for competing for Race to the Top funding.

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan wants statewide support of the application by having education stakeholders sign an agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding.

"That's excellent news and what it really has done is given all school districts a reason to move forward," said Stan Kogut, the superintendent for the Ingham Intermediate School District.

Flanagan decided that the MOU needs to be signed only by the local superintendent and the school board president. Initially the union president was included in this list but now that signature is optional.

"His response to that is to just throw up his hands and say your participation is optional. It is really disrespectful and we're shocked by it," said Doug Pratt, the Michigan Education Association spokesman.

The MEA said this MOU is like a blank contract without a final plan in place. The current plan is in draft form and Pratt says there are flaws with the plan that work against unions.

"Without a final plan in place you really are taking a leap of faith and frankly our students educational futures are too important for a leap of faith," said Pratt.

Flanagan said the application will be hammered out after collecting the MOU's. Kogut said he's already thrown his support behind the application but he can understand the union's position.

"Certainly I understand the concern but I'm not sure it's strong enough to stop the process," said Kogut. "It's the union running things and not the teachers and they're stopping this because it doesn't benefit the union."

Flanagan's preference is to still have the union presidents sign the MOU because that would warrant a stronger application. The agreements are due by Friday because the State Department of Education wants to present the application at the state board meeting next Tueday.