San Diego, California (CNN) — President Obama deserves an A+ for his agenda for education reform. His decision to nominate Arne Duncan as U.S. education secretary was inspired, and his comments on holding the system accountable are honest, refreshing and insightful.

Education secretary nominee Arne Duncan speaks as US president-elect Barack Obama listens during a press conference in Chicago. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Obama showed that again this week with a powerful speech at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin.

He announced that, in the coming weeks, states would be able to compete for their share of more than $4 billion in funding through the administration's Race to the Top initiative. But in order to do that, he said, the states have to demonstrate that they're serious about increasing accountability by doing things like tearing down "firewall laws" that prevent districts from factoring in student performance when evaluating teachers.

That sinister brainchild was brought to you by politically influential teachers' unions who make it their solemn mission to protect their members from the scrutiny and standards that everyday people have to put up in their jobs. Obama's not having any of it.

"If you are committed to real change in the way you educate your children," he told his audience, "if you're willing to hold yourselves more accountable, and if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, then we'll offer you a big grant to help you make that plan a reality."

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