"The decade began with ambitious plans for raising the bar on public education and student achievement.
After winning office as the nation's 43rd president, George W. Bush introduced a federal program, dubbed No Child Left Behind, aimed at improving education through higher standards and greater accountability.
For the better part of the decade, educators and school administrators worked diligently to implement the program and meet its expectations.
More recently, however, a recession of historic proportions has taken a heavy toll on the public school system, prompting deep budget cuts, and in some cases, a rethinking of what schools will offer.
'Our future depends on our ability to prepare the next generation for success in the hyper-competitive global economy,' said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. "In order to deliver the quality education our students need, we must get off this budget roller coaster and find a stable, long-term solution to education funding. Our future depends on it."
After winning office as the nation's 43rd president, George W. Bush introduced a federal program, dubbed No Child Left Behind, aimed at improving education through higher standards and greater accountability.
For the better part of the decade, educators and school administrators worked diligently to implement the program and meet its expectations.
More recently, however, a recession of historic proportions has taken a heavy toll on the public school system, prompting deep budget cuts, and in some cases, a rethinking of what schools will offer.
'Our future depends on our ability to prepare the next generation for success in the hyper-competitive global economy,' said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. "In order to deliver the quality education our students need, we must get off this budget roller coaster and find a stable, long-term solution to education funding. Our future depends on it."
After years of focusing on state and federal goals aimed at improving public instruction, public school officials over the past year have wrestled with budget reductions brought on by massive state deficits.
In July, facing a $26.3billion shortfall, the state Legislature passed a budget that slashed more than $8billion in education funding.
Districts that had issued scores - and in some cases hundreds - of layoff notices won some reprieve with federal stimulus funding, but the state's financial outlook has not improved. Lawmakers now anticipating a new shortfall that could top $20billion.