Sec. Duncan Wants to Reauthorize the ESEA Now
Sept. 24, 2009Critics have been calling for changes to No
Child Left Behind (NCLB), the latest reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), since it was passed. In a speech
to key stakeholders, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan acknowledged
problems with provisions in NCLB, but rather than dwelling on them,
he is calling on Congress, with support from the Department of Education,
to reauthorize the ESEA, and he wants to start now.
While Duncan gave NCLB credit for bringing attention to the achievement
gap and focusing on accountability, he also listed the laws
flaws, including placing too much emphasis on standardized tests.
But the biggest problem with NCLB is that it doesnt
encourage high learning standards, Duncan said. In fact,
it inadvertently encourages states to lower them. The net effect
is that we are lying to children and parents by telling kids they
are succeeding when they are not.
Calling for a tranformative education law, Secretary
Duncan asked the stakeholders to help build a, law that offers
every child the education they want and needa law that recognizes
and reinforces the proper role of the federal government to support
and drive reform at the state and local level.
In addition, he wants to build a law that discourages a narrowing
of curriculum and promotes a well-rounded education that draws children
into sciences and history, languages and the arts in order to build
a society distinguished by both intellectual and economic prowess.
This session was the first in a series of events where education
stakeholders will offer input about the law. Stakeholders at this
speech includes representatives of the American Federation of Teachers,
the National Education Association, the NAACP, National Governors
Association, United Way of America, the Childrens Defense
Fund, and the Business Roundtable. (A list
of future ESEA stakeholder meetings is available on the Dept.
of Ed website.)
Read more details in the Legislative
Update from Education Legislative Services.
Secretary Duncans Remarks: Reauthorization
of ESEA: Why We Cant Wait
Obama
education chief Duncan to push schools reform
USA TODAY
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