"SAN DIEGO — As state lawmakers approved controversial education legislation yesterday that is intended to get California into the race for federal reform funds, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan weighed in on the debate during an appearance in San Diego.
Passed by a 47-25 vote, the legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, overhaul state academic standards and target federal funding to the poorest-performing schools."
Passed by a 47-25 vote, the legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, overhaul state academic standards and target federal funding to the poorest-performing schools."
Although the legislation could make California eligible for up to $700 million in federal funds, many education reformers have criticized it as a weak effort that does little to improve the education for underachieving poor and minority children.
After speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures in downtown San Diego yesterday, Duncan all but joined the critics. He said California has a chance to regain its long-departed status as a national leader in public education.
