Posts Tagged ‘Secretary Duncan’

Race to the Top Finalists Announced for Round Two

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

This afternoon, in a speech at the National Press Club, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the finalists for round two of the Race to the Top grant competition. There were 19 finalists, out of 36 that applied for the remaining $3.4 billion in grant money:

Each state will send a group of five representatives to Washington, D.C. in early August 9 to make their case to the review panel. Duncan said that there could between 10 and 15 winners, which will be announced in September.

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: , , , ,

Legislative Update: Education Jobs Fund, Budget, For-Profit Schools

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Education Jobs Fund Shrinking

The House will not take up the emergency was supplemental (which includes the education jobs fund) this week amid reports that Republicans plan to vote “present” on the bill, forcing Democrats to come up with 218 votes in support of the bill. The House has already cut the education jobs fund is down from $23 billion to $10 billion and will offset that spending, however none of that offset will come from ARRA education funds. Despite the offset, Republicans are now saying they will oppose the addition of education jobs fund or other provisions because they want to keep the supplemental just to war and disasters spending.

House Democrats Will Not Pass a Budget

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) announced on Tuesday that rather than passing a budget this year, the House plans to adopt a budget enforcement resolution, which would cut spending even more than the President requested in his budget earlier this year. Hoyer said that until the nation’s deficit is addressed, it “isn’t possible to debate and pass a realistic, long-term budget.” Hoyer wished to see recommendations from the President’s bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which has been charged with balancing the budget by 2015, before proposing a longer term budget. Recommendations are expected in December.

Senate Holds Hearing on For-Profit Schools

Yesterday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held the first in a series of hearings to address the Federal investment in for-profit education and to find out what is happening to students who enroll in these schools. In his opening remarks, Chairman Tom Harkin (IA) unveiled “Emerging Risk?: An Overview of Growth, Spending, Student Debt and Unanswered Questions in For-Profit Higher Education” a report that investigates the Federal investment in for-profit schools and how these schools are using taxpayer dollars. It also identifies gaps in available information about enrollment, student performance, and loan debt and repayment. Harkin said, “We don’t know how many students graduate, how many get jobs, how schools that are not publicly traded spend their Title IV dollars, and how many for-profit students default over the long term. More broadly, we don’t know exactly what risk we are taking by investing an increasing share of our Federal financial aid dollars in this sector.”

Ranking Member Michael Enzi (WY) agreed that there are some “bad actors” among the for-profit schools, but made the point that “these schools are increasingly reaching more and more Americans who are not served by traditional higher education. They are an essential part of our efforts to provide every American with the skills necessary to be a valuable part of the workforce.” He also quoted Secretary Duncan who gave the keynote address at DeVry’s policy forum last month and said that “for-profit institutions play a vital role in training young people and adults for jobs. They are critical to helping America meet the President’s 2020 goal. They are helping us meet the explosive demand for skills that public institutions cannot always meet.”

By admin in Legislation
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Secretary Duncan Appoints Committee on Measures of Student Success

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the 15 members of the new Committee on Measures of Student Success which will advise the Secretary in assisting two-year degree-granting institutions of higher education in meeting the completion or graduation rate disclosure requirements outlined in section 485 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. The committee will also develop recommendations regarding additional or alternate measures of student success that are comparable alternatives to the completion or graduation rates, taking into account the mission and role of two-year degree-granting higher education institutions. These recommendations will be submitted to the Secretary within 18 months of the first meeting of the Committee.

The panel will be chaired by Thomas Bailey, professor of economics and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College and head of the Community College Research Center. The other members are:

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: , , ,

Legislative Update: Education Jobs Fund

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Education Jobs Fund Press Conference

On Wednesday the National Education Association (NEA) held a press conference addressing the $23 billion education jobs fund featuring NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Reps. Dave Obey (D-WI) and George Miller (D-CA), and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

“The Recovery Bill last year saved over 300,000 education jobs, but, because states have not yet recovered, and local economies are just beginning the recovery process, we still have a shortage of the financial resources necessary to keep teachers, firemen and policemen on the job for another year while state budgets catch up,” said Rep. Obey, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “On that score, we have two choices—we can sit, frozen in our own indifference, as President Roosevelt once said, or we can take action to save those jobs.  That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

House Markup of Supplemental Postponed

The House Appropriation Committee’s markup of the emergency supplemental that was to include the $23 billion education jobs fund that was scheduled for Thursday has been postponed and will not happen until after the Memorial Day recess. In the meantime, the Committee released an official summary of the bill.

State-By-State Estimates of Jobs Saved or Created by Education Jobs Fund

Earlier this week the White House released state-by-state estimates of the number of jobs that will be saved or created through the $23 billion education jobs fund. Based on these estimates you can see how the funding will help your state, and since the House markup was postponed, there is still time to contact your Representative to voice your support of saving educators’ jobs!

By admin in Legislation
Tags: , , , , ,

Legislative Update: Appropriations, Education Jobs Bill

Friday, May 14th, 2010

House May Cut Education, Health and Labor Funding by $3.5 Billion

Rep. David Obey (WI), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a hearing on Wednesday that $3.5 billion would be cut from President Barack Obama’s budget request for education, health and labor programs. Obey stated that the need to cut the deficit is being promoted by members from both sides of the aisle and that while many of the requests for additional health, education and labor funding should be funded on their merits, that would not be possible given the political climate.

Administration Lends Support to Education Jobs Bill

Yesterday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to congressional leadership supporting Sen. Harkin’s education jobs bill aimed at helping states and school districts save jobs during the next school year. The Secretary is urging Congress to include $23 billion in supplemental appropriations to preserve education jobs.

Melody Barnes, director of the President’s Domestic Policy Council, also posted a statement on WhiteHouse.gov that calls on Congress to include the education jobs funding in the supplemental appropriations bills. She says, “Our teachers are vital to our nation’s success and if we don’t act now and act boldly, we will not only endanger the future of tens of millions of students but threaten to undermine the recovery of our economy.”

By admin in Legislation
Tags: , , , ,

Legislative Update: ESEA Hearings, Education Jobs Bill, METRICS Bill

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization Hearings

This week the House and Senate held a number of hearings on issues ranging from data to turning around low performing schools to effective teachers and leaders. During Tuesday’s Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on effective strategies for turning around schools Senator Patty Murray asked about the use of career pathways as a way to improve student achievement (beginning at the 115 minute mark). Robert Balfanz, a researcher from Johns Hopkins University, stated that career academies are one effective strategy that uses career pathways. He also stated that there is evidence that the students who do best in high school are those who take a college preparatory curriculum and a CTE concentration, however only 5% of student nationwide have that combination.

On Thursday the HELP Committee held a roundtable to hear about the problems facing teachers and principals. A key issue addressed by both committee members and witnesses is the need to move from “highly qualified teacher” requirements to defining “highly effective teachers.”

The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, “How Data Can Be Used to Inform Educational Outcomes.” Committee members acknowledged the vital importance of using data to improve student performance and teacher instruction, but were concerned about need to protect student privacy.

Keep Our Educators Working Act

Senator Tom Harkin introduced the Keep Our Educators Working Act of 2010 which would provide $23 billion for an “Education Jobs Fund,” modeled after the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund that was established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Money could be used for compensation and benefits and other expenses necessary to retain existing employees, and for the hiring of new employees, in order to provide early childhood, elementary, secondary, or postsecondary educational and related services; or on-the-job training activities for education-related careers. This bill is similar to the $23 billion included in the Jobs for Main Street Act which passed the House in December.

Senate Appropriations Hearing on Education Fiscal Crisis

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified in a hearing before the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee this week to discuss the FY11 education budget and the fiscal crisis facing education. Duncan endorsed Senator Harkin’s proposed $23 billion education jobs fund (see above), saying “It’s the right thing to do at the right time for the right reasons.” Senator Harkin’s opening statement is available here.

METRICS Act

This week Representative Rush Holt and Senator Sherrod Brown each introduced the Measuring and Evaluating Trends for Reliability, Integrity, and Continued Success (METRICS) Act in their respective chambers of Congress. The bill would authorize $65 million in competitive grants to states to improve the use of their statewide data systems and an additional $65 million for a competitive program to LEAs with low-performing schools to help build the capacity to use data to improve student outcomes.

By admin in Legislation
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Delaware and Tennessee Awarded First Round Race to the Top Grants

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that Delaware and Tennessee won grants in the first phase of the Race to the Top competition.  Delaware will receive approximately $100 million and Tennessee will receive $500 million over the next four years to implement their reform plans.

The winning states included plans for plans such as tying teacher evaluation to student performance, charter schools and STEM. They also received approval of their applications from every school district in their states, and got support from nearly all of their teachers’ unions.

The Department will have about $3.4 billion available for the second phase of the Race to the Top competition.

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: , ,

Secretary Duncan Discusses ESEA Blueprint Before Congress

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

duncan-arne-sec_-of-ed_-3-09This morning, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before both the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee about the Department of Education’s blueprint for reforming the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

The Senate hearing began with Chairman Tom Harkin (IA) stressing the importance of preparing students for both college and careers, and the importance of a well-rounded curriculum. Ranking Member Michael Enzi (WY) took that notion one step further in stating that students must be ready for college and career without the need for remediation, as it is important to the strength of our economy. Secretary Duncan agreed that few other issues speak to the long term prosperity of our nation than education.  Later in the hearing, he stated that all students need some postsecondary education – 4 year, community college, trade school or “vocational” education – to get a good job after high school, but many do not graduate ready for college or a career. To that end, the Administration has set a goal for all students to be college and career ready by 2020.  This goal replaces the previous Administration’s goal of proficiency in math and reading by 2014.

Senator Enzi also highlighted the need for high school reform in ESEA because too many students are dropping out or graduating without the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college or the workplace, suggesting that perhaps career academies could be one vehicle to help add relevancy to students’ learning. Secretary Duncan stated that high school reform is a part of the Department’s ESEA plans and that programs such as dual enrollment will allow students to experience college while in high school.

Duncan also suggested that because of the lack of math and science teachers, ESEA should incentivize individuals to enter these areas by paying these teachers more. He also supported the idea of allowing individuals from industry to use alternative certification to get into the classroom as another way to increase the number of well qualified teachers in these subject areas.

George_Miller_CARepAt the House hearing Chairman George Miller (CA) saw the blueprint as a strong roadmap that Congress can work from to bring about system wide change in elementary and secondary education. Ranking Member John Kline (MN) suggested that for reauthorization Congress should not start from NCLB, but begin with a blank slate, using the blueprint as a jumping off point.

In response to a question from Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (TX) about dropout factories and the impact of middle schools on student achievement in high school, Secretary Duncan stated that both the funding proposal for teachers and leaders and the School Improvement Grants will help students in middle school be better prepared to succeed in high school.

Finally, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT) expressed concern about the impact of competitive funding on state education budgets, particularly in 2011 after the last batch of ARRA funds are distributed coupled with the state budget crises that will not be able to supplement that funding.

By admin in Legislation
Tags: , , , , , ,

Race to the Top Finalists Announced

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today named the 16 finalists in the first round of its Race to the Top competition, which will deliver $4.35 billion in school reform grants. Forty states and the District of Columbia submitted applications in January for this first round of funding. Winners for Phase 1 will be chosen from among the following finalists and announced during the first week in April.

States could win as much as $900 million each, depending on their size. The final number of winners, which will be announced next month, is expected to be as few as five states.

The Department enlisted a panel 58 outside judges to select the finalists based on 19 criteria, including the state’s track record, openness to charter schools, and systems to judge teacher performance.

States that apply, but do not win in Phase 1 may reapply for Phase 2.  Applications for Phase 2 will be due in June, with winners selected in September.

By admin in Public Policy
Tags: , ,

ED Introduces the National Financial Capability Challenge

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

In December 2009, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan along with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced the National Financial Capability Challenge, an awards program for educators and high school students that aims to encourage the teaching of personal finance and to increase the financial knowledge and capability of high school aged youth across the United States so they can take control over their financial futures. Educators and top-scoring students in each school will earn personalized award certificates and states with the highest participation rates will also be recognized. Participation is free and the deadline to register for Challenge is March 14, 2010.

To reach their goal of getting one million high school students to take the Challenge by April 9, 2010, they are encouraging high school educators to take these steps:

  1. View the video message from Secretary Duncan
  2. Register for the Challenge by March 14th
  3. Recruit their colleagues to participate (flier available here)
  4. Prepare their students (using the free educator toolkit or their own resources)
  5. Administer the online exam one day between March 15th and April 9th
  6. Present official (printable) awards certificates to high-scoring students

By admin in Advance CTE Announcements
Tags: ,

 

Series

Archives

1