Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform
During a speech at the Graduate School of Education on Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne S. Duncan ’86 said that schools should not limit the scope of their focus and support to a child’s life within the classroom.
“Educators should be attacking both in-school and out-of-school problems,” said Duncan to an audience that included Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester, Superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools Jeffrey M. Young, and President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association Paul F. Toner. Approximately 360 watched the address, part of the Askwith Forum lecture series, by simulcast on the Graduate School of Education’s website.
Duncan said that wraparound programs, which target students’ general quality of life, are an important way to improve standards of education, especially in poverty stricken areas.
As CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Duncan opened health clinics with dental and vision services for students. He said that these resources were an example of a program that was