Duncan outlines for vision for education
03/09 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan offered some clues about the Obama administration’s education policies during a recent meeting with education leaders and at his confirmation hearing.
Before Duncan was confirmed, NSBA sent a letter to members of the Senate education committee supporting Duncan’s appointment, noting that he “has demonstrated exemplary performance in addressing the many challenges facing local school districts across the nation.” NSBA expects Duncan will “depart from the federal top-down approach that has been the norm for most of the past decade and instead sustain a culture of partnership and support for states, as well as local school districts.”
So far, that assessment has been on the mark. In a meeting with education leaders Feb. 2 on the economic stimulus, Duncan “listened to what we were saying,” said NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. “It’s clear that he is aware of the magnitude of the job before him, and that he understands the effect that the stimulus funds will have on school districts all across the country.”
“In outlining his priorities,” Bryant said, “Duncan listed quality early childhood programs, better assessments that tell teachers and parents how students are doing and progressing, and the importance of dropout prevention and counting all of our students -- even those who take more than four years to graduate.”
“His priorities also include the value of the human capital in our districts and the importance of giving our teachers professional development opportunities,” she continued. “And perhaps most important, he recognizes the value of what’s working in our schools. He wants, like we do, to showcase excellent schools and school districts so that all students receive an excellent education. He knows what it means to use carrots and not sticks.”
Duncan, 44, has been chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools since 2001. He had been an administrator in the district since 1998, and before that, he co-founded and headed a Chicago-based non-profit education foundation. He also played professional basketball for three years in Australia.
As Chicago’s school chief, Duncan closed dozens of underperforming schools and embraced charters and theme-based public schools. At the Jan. 13 hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, “No other district in the country has been as aggressive about holding schools accountable for performance.”
When asked about NCLB, Duncan vowed to look at the law’s unintended consequences and fix problems. He said it’s not fair to label a school as in need of improvement just because one subgroup of students failed to meet its proficiency target. Instead, he called for additional support and tutoring when needed, rather than taking “too blunt an instrument to an entire school.”
Duncan praised other aspects of NCLB, noting schools “can’t hide behind the aggregates and sweep children under the rug.” But he criticized the law’s “one-size-fits-all mentality” and said more students with disabilities should be allowed to take modified tests.
He also called for stepped-up efforts to support great teachers, noting that “in the education business, talent matters tremendously.”
Duncan said Obama wants to build on Chicago’s experience with “teacher residency” programs and said he supports career advancement programs “so successful teachers can be instructional leaders for their colleagues” and teacher compensation “based on performance.”
Students need to spend more time in school, Duncan said, noting that “our school day is too short, our week is too short, and our year is too short.”
And he said schools should be “centers of the community” that are open 12 hours a day and in the summer.
In Chicago, Duncan has been criticized by some educators for embracing the corporate model of education reform. At the hearing, he said there’s been “a disconnect between education and the business community” and called for stronger partnerships to support apprenticeships and internships.
Reproduced with permission from School Board News. Copyright © 2009, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789.