Obama Unveils No Child Left Behind Changes

President Obama today officially announced new changes to the national No Child Left Behind education law that will allow states to bypass a critical requirement that threatened to deny them federal funding down the road.

In a roughly 15-minute speech at the White House, Obama explained that due to congressional inaction, he decided to act unilaterally.

“I’ve urged Congress for awhile now — let’s get a bipartisan effort and let’s fix this. Congress hasn’t been able to do it. So, I will.”

The most significant of the NCLB reforms unveiled by the president involves granting waivers to lieberate states from a requirement that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014. That mandate was tied heavily to federal funding, and allowing it to take effect would have put nearly every state in financial jeopardy.

However, in exchange for providing states with “flexibility” to dodge that requirement, states must show that they are implementing high educational standards of their own.

“This does not mean that states will be able to lower their standards or escape accountability,” Obama said. “If states want more flexibility, they’re gonna have to set higher standards, more honest standards.”

Already, 44 states and the District of Columbia “have adopted a common set of State- developed college- and career-ready standards,” according to the White House.

(Click here to read the White House’s summary of the reforms to NCLB).

In addition to transforming classroom standards for students, states must also remodel their methods of evaluating teachers and principals in order to qualify for relief from the law.

“We can’t afford to wait for an education system that is not doing everything it needs to do for our kids,” Obama said. “We can’t let another generation of young people fall behind.”

Dems Fight For DREAM Act

by Kyle LaFleur

Democratic members of both houses joined the Secretary of Education and Homeland Security Wednesday to rally Congress to vote on the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act before the end of the lame duck session.  

The DREAM Act would allow minors under the age of 16 whose parents are undocumented immigrants to gain a path to citizenship provided they complete high school or reiceve a GED, have lived in the United States for at least five years, are of good moral character and plan to either attend an American university or serve in the military for at least two years.  

“This is in the interest, not just these young people, not just in the interest of their families and their communities, this is in the nation’s interest,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “We need their ingenuity, we need their creativity, we need their entrepreneurship skills, we need them to help lead the country where we need to go educationally.”

Critics of the bill have argued that it is just an amnesty plan disguised as an education bill.

“I want to make it absolutely clear, this is a very tailored and structured piece of legislation,” said Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.). “So tailored and so structured that if you’re 10 years old today and have only been in the country four years, you do not qualify for the DREAM Act.”

Gutierrez went on to point out that beneficiaries of this legislation would not receive pell grants, health care or government assistance if they chose to go on to college. He also added that those choosing to enlist in the military would be paying the ultimate tax to the United States. 

“That is the tax of our blood, of our life and our limb in defense of this nation,” said Gutierrez.  

Democratic leaders have called for the vote to be held Wednesday as they scramble to gain support on both sides of the aisle. 

Education Secretary Says Future For Education Is Bright

By Linn Grubbstrom - Talk Radio News Service

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced Tuesday that 19 states remain as finalists for the $3.4 billion that are available in the second round of funding for the “Race to the Top” competition. 

“Race to the Top” is a competition aimed at bolstering the education system with funding, specifically targeting schools in low-income neighborhoods.

“We have 2,000 high schools that account for half of America’s drop outs [and] those 2000 high schools also produce 75% of drop outs from our nation’s minority community,” said Duncan in a speech at the National Press Club.

Duncan said that the competition is meant to increase funding to low-income schools in order to provide them with an opportunity to host well-educated and qualified teachers.

“We’re putting $4 billion dollars behind the bottom 5% of the schools,” Duncan said. “If it takes $10,000 or $15,000 or $20,000 to get a great science teacher to work in an under served community or a disadvantage community or Indian reservation, do it.”

According to Duncan, the 19 finalists in the reform are those with the boldest plans for the future. Together, with parents around the nation, teachers can change and improve educational opportunities for today’s students and future generations. 

“Every state that applied will benefit from this process of collaboratively creating a comprehensive education reform agenda,” said Duncan.

Congress Must Reauthorize Elementary And Secondary Education Act, Says Schools Chief

By Justine Rellosa
Talk Radio News Service

Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan stressed the importance of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) during a hearing Wednesday before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

"We want to create a fair system of accountability that instead of stigmatizing schools and educators, rewards them for [their] excellence. We want to focus on growth and gain rather than absolute test scores," said Duncan. "Rather than dictating one size fits all solutions, we want to give states and districts more flexibility to improve in the vast majority of schools."

According to a statement released by the Department of Education, the Act "would ask states to adopt college-and career-ready standards and reward schools for producing dramatic gains in student achievement."

During his appearance on Capitol Hill, Duncan also touted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) impact on aiding his department.

"The Recovery Act dollars given to the Department of Education helped save an estimated 400,000 jobs at the state and local levels," he said.

$600 Million In Education Grants Awarded To Delaware And Tennessee

Delaware and Tennessee school systems will receive hundreds of millions in Recovery Act funds after placing highly in "Race to the Top," the Obama administration's competition for education grants.

"These states received the two highest scores in the competition," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said during a conference call with reporters Monday. "They have written and passed new laws to support their policies and they have demonstrated the courage, capacity and commitment to turn their ideas into practices that can improve outcomes for students."

Delaware is slated to receive a grant for $100 million and Tennessee will receive $500 million. The two are the only states to receive funds after 40 states initially applied. 16 states qualified as finalists.

The competition is a two phase process. According to Duncan, $3.4 billion in grants will be awarded in the second round and states that did not make the initial cut will be allowed to re-apply.