From a reader via an on line educational group and reprinted with permission:
When I received the picture (above), I did not think it appropriate
to send to our education network group. I ended up deciding to send it
anyway---it is appropriate. No matter where you stand politically,
there are some interesting quotes used in this picture. The one that
really got my attention is the Duncan quote, "The North Star guiding the
alignment of our cradle-to-career education agenda is President Obama's
goal..."
It
is worth your time to read this
Duncan September 2010 speech in its entirety. It is scarier
than just the cradle-to-career quote. I will pull some quotes out and
present them here. When you read the speech for yourself, you may find
other quotes that jump out at you. These are the ones that jumped out
at me.
The
four assurances got their name from the requirement that each governor
in the 50 states had to provide an “assurance” they would pursue reforms
in these four areas, in exchange for their share of $49 billion in a
Recovery Act program designed to largely stem job loss among teachers
and principals.
In my eyes, this is an admission of bribery.
The
second assurance governors provided was in the area of data systems.
The department has supported states and provided several hundred million
dollars to build longitudinal data systems that measure student
progress over time. More robust state data systems and a new generation
of assessments can assist teachers and principals to improve their
practices and tailor their instruction to students in ways that were
largely unthinkable in the past.
Duncan
clearly ties the longitudinal data systems to the assessments. Since
the assessments are directly related to the Cash Cow State Standards, it
is not a leap of faith to make the connection between the CCSS and the
data systems, it is a logical deduction.
Traditionally, the federal government in the United States has had a limited role in education policy.
He neglects to say why and does not acknowledge the constitution (which he and many others like to ignore).
We
have sought to fundamentally shift the federal role so that the
Department is playing a greater role in supporting reform and innovation
in states, districts, and local communities across the nation.
This statement along with this one...
We
are similarly overhauling the way the department provides technical
assistance, so that it focuses on helping states build the capacity to
implement programs successfully—instead of focusing on compliance
monitoring, as we have done in the past. I said earlier that the United
States now has an unprecedented opportunity to transform education in
ways that will resonate for decades to come.
give
indication that the department will now be directing states on how and
what to implement. The Obama administration's transformation of
education will resonate for decades to come. I only hope we can recover
from the disharmonious resonation ironically brought about by the
Recovery Act ($98 billion worth).
In
the end, transforming education is not just about raising expectations.
It has to be about creating greater capacity at all levels of the
system to implement reform. It has to be about results. And that is one
reason why Sir Michael Barber's book, Instruction to Deliver, is so
valuable.
Another network member has been putting Barber's name in front of us. He was brought to my attention more than a year ago. His involvement and
influence is becoming more evident. Has he been directly involved as an
architect of ed reform in this country or only having an indirect
influence on it?
But
we are committed to establishing a different relationship with
states--one more focused on providing tailored support to improve
program outcomes.
Interpretation:
We are committed to establishing a controlling relationship with the
states---one more focused on providing tailored support for implementing
policies and practices desired by the federal government without regard
for evidence of effectiveness. (as might be used the the federal
government, desired is simply a nicer way of saying required... much
like voluntary means the same as required in federal speak).
I
thought it was bad in 2004, when Sec. of Education Rod Paige called the
teachers' union a "terrorist organization" and in my eyes, by extension
dubbed all teachers as terrorists. While I was outraged at the time, I
now see it as a mild insult relative to the action that goes beyond the
words of Arne Duncan. Duncan's (and the Obama administration's)
actions are more than an insult to teachers...his actions will
directly have a negative impact on the lives and livelihood of all
students and the freedom and liberty of every American.
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This Duncan quote caught my eye regarding the "transformation of education":
Transformational reform especially takes time in the United States,
which has more than 100,000 public schools, 49 million K-12 students,
more than three million teachers, and 13,800 school districts--all of it
largely administered and funded by local governments. Systemic change,
in short, takes time.
The Constitution gives the power to the states for the administration and funding of education. The Federal government does not have this power. Would politicians remind Arne Duncan that the systemic change he and Obama crave is illegal? Have all the politicians on the local, state and national levels forgotten the Federal government has no right to this power?
