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Education Secretary Arne Duncan on the state of education and how we can improve America’s educational system.
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Welcome back to Washington I'm in the nation's capital tonight as part of my reporting on education in this country.
A short time ago I sat down with a man in charge of it all education secretary Arnie Duncan.
Among the biggest questions why so many of our high school kids are dropping out and why we're losing our edge in the classroom.
A solution to all of this was supposed to be in No Child Left Behind a multi billion dollar program signed into a lot ten years ago by President Bush.
The -- administration doesn't think it's working and wants to change it.
So I asked the secretary if he was now going to let schools opt out.
I always give the law because of this -- credit for shining a spotlight on achievement gaps and disseminating data so we wanna keep that focus.
Having said that the laws -- -- five years overdue for being reauthorize it's too punitive it's too prescriptive.
Led to a dummy down standards led to a narrative the curriculum.
Well most concerned about as we go to the next school year.
The over the next year or two without changes the vast majority of schools are -- -- will be labels failures 7580%.
That's simply doesn't reflect reality we absolutely have schools are struggling -- challenges there's -- challenge the status -- there.
We're schools are getting better each year where -- improving our teachers of pencils are working really hard to label them as failures is confusing is -- advertising.
Doesn't make sense the parents and students.
By far.
My biggest ambition.
This to have congress to authorize the law and working very hard in a bipartisan way and I was about houses and they're getting some traction in fact I think that.
Put through to a five bills that plan to do that the house that's it to to a five or six.
Are we started to move -- just moving to slow and so we'll continue to -- to work with that that's plan today.
On at the end of the day if it doesn't happen.
I think we all else in the country to -- to provide some some belief.
How does your program race to the top filling gaps that you just described.
-- what was seen over the past two and a half years thanks in part to -- a top has been pretty extraordinary.
We've seen about 42 states raise standards college and credit intelligent -- ready standards.
Historically far -- -- office thinks W downstairs they'd like to children families and make politicians look good.
It was bad for education -- shoulder and ultimately battles its economy with the only state shall we encourage doing the right thing has been huge.
We -- about 44 states -- coming next generation assessments.
We saw about three dozen states remove barriers to innovative schools.
And I had no idea -- apartheid -- Washington will be actually -- states that have laws on the books it was against the law to link teacher valuation.
The student achievement all those long from now gone.
Some massive amount change thanks in part to raise the top but a huge amount of courage and leadership at the local level that's where the real change that's -- not coming from Boston Washington.
You know you just said this number and it's something -- picked out about the stories I read that some 80% of schools today would fail to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind.
That's astonishing.
I mean this is just basic requirements that kids be proficient in reading and math -- -- acceptable.
Especially the part about being proficient in reading and math.
What doesn't reflect reality that's that's the disappointing part and that's what we need to change are much point to -- growth and gain students improving each year.
Are they are -- schools getting better or this is getting better states getting better.
And I think the late 80% of schools in the country is failing is -- it is dishonest and we don't think it's the right thing to do for the country.
We get to get better faster than we ever have we can't have a -- this action peanuts slowing us down.
Harming our ability to get where we need to go with the country -- don't want a label them as failing that you say they don't meet the requirements -- -- -- what we have schools that truly are feeling 405060.
To drop out rates we're going in it requiring massive changes really trying to be disruptive and challenge the status quo.
But we schools are getting better each year to label those schools failure simply -- cost.
You know one of the big issues that I think people feel all over the country state and local budget strapped -- talk about this all the time on the show.
Everybody so worried about whether these local governments can continue how they'll continue.
How could educate kids in an environment like that that is an extraordinarily tough budget times and -- -- that the state and local level.
Fortune unfortunate we have no choice our children have one chance to get education.
So we can't use tough economic times we can't use anything is excuse not to continue to drive reform.
-- I would argue maybe particularly in tough economic times only way we're gonna strengthen our country.
Ultimately -- I had a much better educated workforce so I feel a tremendous sense of urgency.
We have to get better faster than we ever have the country we've been far too complacent.
And got despite these tough budget times -- seem to get an amazing courage and innovation and leadership at the local level.
And so the challenge is a real.
I'm actually very very optimistic.
You know we talked about kids where they are today in terms of education I couldn't help -- that be shocked by some numbers I saw recently.
Comparing our kids with kids around the world and let's face it that's how we're getting -- today everybody could economies here compete with economies overseas.
And if you look at the competency levels in reading and math and I'm looking here at 34 developed countries OK we ranked fourteenth in reading 25 in math.
That's just not acceptable what needs to happen.
It's not acceptable and I'm looking at that data out all the time.
Have hosted intended international conferences and -- hit the nail on the head our competition isn't in the district or in the state in the country.
Our competition.
Is Singapore.
And Finland and China and Japan.
And we have other countries today the simple fact the brutal truth is we have other countries to -- -- out educate us.
That's not who we think we all may not want want to embrace that reality but that is the truth.
And so that's why we're pushing so hard for greater -- programs for K12 reform.
To increase access to higher education.
We have to do what's better than we have we have to challenge the status -- again there it is not good enough brought children it's not good enough for our country.
It globally competitive knowledge based economy I would argue nothing's more important than education way to -- Part of education gets criticized Ron Paul would like to close it down some folks out there say we don't need.
Federal level management of the education of our children how do you respond to that well I think historically this office here has been complaints of bureaucracy.
We tried to absolutely changed the focus -- the -- engine of innovation and scale up best practices.
Not that appealing the best ideas and educational never come from me.
The fact that never company miles of Washington always become the local level.
We've gone through rates that top.
-- to invest in innovations program to promise neighborhoods Israelis to take great work at the local level shine a spotlight on it replicate.
Take it to scale I think that's a great great role -- -- to play for all the challenges we face that devastatingly high drop -- rate.
Our international best mark frost and some -- -- problems very real challenges all the great answers out there.
Great teachers great principles -- solve this -- in the country.
We haven't done is take those those solutions those innovative ideas to scale that's the role will be should be and that's the role I want our apartment to -- Secretary Duncan thank you so much for them to him.
