Gov. Deval Patrick says he wants to double the number of charter school seats in Massachusetts. But there’s a big difference between a proposal and a policy or state law — especially when it comes to something as contentious as charter schools.  You wouldn’t know that, however, by reading US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s op-ed in today’s Washington Post. Duncan cites Massachusetts as one of seven states that have lifted limits on charter school growth. 

President Obama joined Duncan early this afternoon to announce the release of initial guidelines governing the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” program, a pool of education aid that will be awarded on a competitive basis to states based on their adoption of reforms designed to improve student performance and close the achievement gap.  Among the important factors the feds will weigh is whether states have removed caps limiting the growth of charter schools.

Duncan appeared in Boston last week as Patrick reversed course on his longstanding opposition to more charters and announced he was filing legislation to double the number of charter school seats in Massachusetts. “This is a significant step in the right direction,” Duncan said following the event.

But it’s a long way from the bill the governor filed to an actual increase in the number of charter school seats allowed in the state. Indeed, pressure to approve an increase in the charter cap to compete for the new federal funding will be the strongest weapon available to Patrick and charter advocates in the coming debate in the Legislature, where there will be lots of resistance to charter school expansion.