Arne Duncan: 'There Is No Fix' To Sequestration For Ailing Schools
WASHINGTON -- While sequestration is not a sure thing yet, school districts are already asking for help dealing with the massive, imminent cuts, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Thursday morning.
"I was on a call yesterday, people are starting to give RIF [reduction in force] notes," Duncan said in a meeting with reporters at the U.S. Education Department. "The sequestration stuff is very very worrying to me. I'm increasingly concerned that's going to happen. Schools are already starting to give teachers notices."
Decisions would be made on a district-by-district level, and cuts could include things like slashing after-school programs, firing teachers, curtailing pre-school and shortening the school day or school year -- simply because money has run out sooner.
Duncan has long warned that the across-the-board, 5 percent cuts would be hurtful to teachers and students. And unlike other issues, Duncan is sure that he can't fix it. "I'll be really clear. There is no fix," he said. "I wish I
"I was on a call yesterday, people are starting to give RIF [reduction in force] notes," Duncan said in a meeting with reporters at the U.S. Education Department. "The sequestration stuff is very very worrying to me. I'm increasingly concerned that's going to happen. Schools are already starting to give teachers notices."
Decisions would be made on a district-by-district level, and cuts could include things like slashing after-school programs, firing teachers, curtailing pre-school and shortening the school day or school year -- simply because money has run out sooner.
Duncan has long warned that the across-the-board, 5 percent cuts would be hurtful to teachers and students. And unlike other issues, Duncan is sure that he can't fix it. "I'll be really clear. There is no fix," he said. "I wish I
Arne Duncan: Armed Teachers Proposals Are 'A Marketing Opportunity' For Gun Industry
WASHINGTON -- People who say that teachers want to carry weapons are just pushing "a marketing opportunity," according to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
"The vast majority of teachers have spoken pretty loudly and said they're not interested in being armed, so that's a red herring," Duncan said at a small Thursday morning meeting with reporters at the U.S. Education Department. "It's an opportunity to sell more guns, that's a marketing opportunity, it's not serious."
Duncan's remarks come after the National Rifle Association suggested, in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. mass elementary school shooting, that armed teachers may be a solution to halting school violence. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's chief executive officer, said at the time. A gun advocate in Michigan suggested that armed teachers could have minimized the damage in Sandy Hook Elementary School.
But Duncan said it's not what teachers want. "Teachers have spoken loudly and clearly," he said. "I've talked to
"The vast majority of teachers have spoken pretty loudly and said they're not interested in being armed, so that's a red herring," Duncan said at a small Thursday morning meeting with reporters at the U.S. Education Department. "It's an opportunity to sell more guns, that's a marketing opportunity, it's not serious."
Duncan's remarks come after the National Rifle Association suggested, in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. mass elementary school shooting, that armed teachers may be a solution to halting school violence. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's chief executive officer, said at the time. A gun advocate in Michigan suggested that armed teachers could have minimized the damage in Sandy Hook Elementary School.
But Duncan said it's not what teachers want. "Teachers have spoken loudly and clearly," he said. "I've talked to
Israel's Haredi Schools Get Standardized Testing; John Deasy Seeks Waiver: Ed Today
Israel's Haredi Schools Get Standardized Testing? As YNet reports, Israel's ultra-Orthodox religious schools, which receive public money, will have to take standardized tests -- as ordered by the Supreme Court. A judge said that such schools "should start taking things seriously, or face the consequences." Why, you ask, do I bring you news from across the planet? It's an interesting parallel to an ongoing debate on our own soil. In the U.S., there has been much talk over whether private schools that receive public-school vouchers or tax credits should be held to the same standards as their public school peers. Obviously the structure is different, and in Israel there's no public-private distinction between the schools. But it's still fascinating to watch.
Waive Me, Maybe? So far, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has only given waivers from No Child Left Behind to states. But John Deasy, the superintendent of Los Angeles public schools, wants one for his city, reports the Daily News. "LAUSD and nine other districts have launched an effort to create their own data-based
Waive Me, Maybe? So far, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has only given waivers from No Child Left Behind to states. But John Deasy, the superintendent of Los Angeles public schools, wants one for his city, reports the Daily News. "LAUSD and nine other districts have launched an effort to create their own data-based
Teacher Survey Shows Record Low Job Satisfaction In 2012
As school districts continued to cut budgets, increase class sizes, and implement teacher performance evaluations, teachers' job satisfaction plummeted in 2012, reaching an all-time low, according to a survey released Thursday.
"We've seen a continuous decline in teacher satisfaction," said Dana Markow, vice president of youth and education research for pollster Harris Interactive, which conducted the poll for the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher.
Teachers' job satisfaction has declined 23 percentage points in the five years since 2008, according to the long-running survey of educators and principals. Only 39 percent of teachers reported they were very satisfied, the
"We've seen a continuous decline in teacher satisfaction," said Dana Markow, vice president of youth and education research for pollster Harris Interactive, which conducted the poll for the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher.
Teachers' job satisfaction has declined 23 percentage points in the five years since 2008, according to the long-running survey of educators and principals. Only 39 percent of teachers reported they were very satisfied, the