The Pasco County School Board held a closed door session on Tuesday to give district administrators its opinion on how to proceed with President Obama's Race to the Top. 

There's no point in proceeding with any applications, chairman Allen Altman told the Gradebook, if district leaders don't have direction from the board, which ultimately must approve participation. (No, we don't know what happened in the executive session.)

United School Employees of Pasco president Lynne Webb pointedly reminded board members that they need to get input from the district's nearly 9,500 employees, too, if Pasco is to have any real hope of snagging some of the billions of dollars in play.

And with controversial topics such as performance pay in the mix, Webb said, the board should not take agreement for granted. After all, the USEP forced the district to reject two performance pay plans in recent years even after lengthy negotiations.

"If Pasco chooses to pursue its own application for Race to the Top, USEP's role in this is integral," Webb said. "We are looking for collaboration. We will not be a rubber stamp of approval."