Was Maryland's Selection as a Finalist to Obama's Race to the Top Initiative Unfair?

As Maryland has recently qualified as a finalist for the Obama administration’s Race to the Top stimulus grant competition, many aspersions have been levied against the state for the previous failures in a number of school systems. In particular, critics point to the fact that Maryland was ranked 35th in data quality and 40th in the promotion of charter schools (by the Department of Education). Additionally, it is noted that while Maryland has increased education spending by $1.3 billion over the last decade, the increase of spending has “done nothing for students” in Prince George’s County and Baltimore.
In particular, an editorial in the Washington Examiner suggests that the criteria for selecting the winners of the Race to the Top competition should have rewarded school districts who have made progress in terms of educational innovation. The writer points specifically to New Orleans’ Recovery School District’s status as the “top ‘reform friendly’ school district in the nation” as well as Colorado for its implementation of innovative school reform.
Others have also argued that due to the current economic hardships plaguing our country, stimulus money spent in the form of a competition is irresponsible and unfair. Proponents of this position have espoused that each state has an equal right to claim their share of the money.
I am not very well versed in the progress that Louisiana and Colorado has had educationally in the past few years. I understand that Maryland as a whole has a very good reputation in terms of its educations systems, particularly regarding graduation rates. Further, while the editorial vaguely points to the idea that the extra money spent on Maryland education over the past ten years has “done nothing for students” in Baltimore, I have heard from other sources that Baltimore’s graduation rate as of last year is at a fifty year high. I just wonder how much of the author’s claims are based on real data and how much of the claim is based on second hand generalizations.