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Arne Duncan on Education
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NCLB is desperately underfunded
Many complain that the No Child Left Behind law forces educators to "teach to the test." Well, if it is a sound test that measures knowledge of the basics, that is a good thing. Another line of attack on NCLB is that it is "desperately under-funded,"
in the words of Obama's secretary of education, Arne Duncan. This is nonsense. Despite slowing the overall growth of discretionary non-security spending, Bush increased deferral outlays one elementary and secondary education by 34%.
States have complained that the federal government imposed new unfounded costs on them. Connecticut even sued the federal government over this issue. But in the end, it lost. The reason is simple: the federal government pays the cost of testing.
What critics really want is for Washington to pay for the job that states should already be doing--making certain every student learns.
Source: Courage and Consequence, by Karl Rove, p.238
Nov 2, 2010
2009: No new students into DC voucher program
The current fight in Washington, D.C. is between parents, who want to continue to have the choice of effective private schools with a coupon from the government, and the unionized bureaucracy, which is insisting on forcing the children back into failing
government schools. Virtually all the parents who want to keep getting government coupons are African American. Yet Democrats in Congress are trying to kill the program in order to appease school union bureaucrats. In fact, even before Congress could end
the program, in April 2009 Education Secretary Arne Duncan decided not to admit any new students to the D.C. voucher program. Two hundred low-income families received notice that their children's scholarships were being rescinded due to Duncan's decision
It seems to matter little to those defending the status quo when poor families are being cheated. The political power of the cheaters is simply too great for the poor and their allies to take on.
Source: Real Change, by Newt Gingrich, p. 59
Dec 18, 2007
Allow More Flexibility Under No Child Left Behind
Congress should maintain NCLB's framework of high expectations and accountability.
But it should also amend the law to give schools, districts and states the maximum amount flexibility possible--particularly districts like ours with a strong track record of academic achievement and tough accountability.
Source: Statement Before the House Subcommittee on Education Reform
Aug 28, 2006
Double funding for No Child left behind
Funding education is simply the best long-term investment Congress can make. Money invested now will pay us back for decades. My challenge is this: double the funding for NCLB within five years.
Here is what you will get in return: presidents and pilots, doctors and diplomats, electricians and engineers. You will get the next generation of citizens ready to survive and thrive in the 21st Century.
Source: Statement Before the House Subcommittee on Education Reform
Aug 26, 2006
Establish extracurricular programs for students
These are all natural parts of students' healthy emotional and intellectual development. We have to offer these things. If we're not able to offer them during the school day, we have to offer them during the non-school hours.
Source: Remarks at Coalition for Community Schools Press Briefing
May 13, 2003
Establish programs which educate parents and community.
Focus not just on our students, but on parents. In our community centers and our schools we're offering GED classes, sometimes in some schools in two different languages; ESL; counseling classes; sewing classes; computer classes, where some of our
students are helping teach their parents on the computer. So as our schools become community centers, we're convinced that it is going to be extraordinarily beneficial to our students long-term.
Source: Remarks at Coalition for Community Schools Press Briefing
May 13, 2003
Page last updated: Aug 01, 2011