The Wall Street Journal has an appropriately skeptical editorial today about the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” initiative for improving K-12 education. It quotes President Obama’s claim last week that the program “will not be based on politics, ideology or the preferences of a particular interest group.” But, in addition to the points that the Journal editorial makes, I would note that, in this Wednesday’s Federal Register notice, the administration says it will give a “Competitive Preference Priority” to state applications that, among other things, “address[] the needs of underrepresented groups and of women and girls in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” (On the meaning of “underrepresented,” see my NRO piece here.)