Monday, May 17, 2010

Hechinger Report | Q&A: Former Ed Secretary Margaret Spellings says ‘We ought to stay the course’ on NCLB

Hechinger Report | Q&A: Former Ed Secretary Margaret Spellings says ‘We ought to stay the course’ on NCLB

Q&A: Former Ed Secretary Margaret Spellings says ‘We ought to stay the course’ on NCLB

Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Education Secretary during George W. Bush’s second term, still has strong feelings about the No Child Left Behind Act that will forever be associated with the Bush administration. Spellings, who now runs her own public policy and strategic consulting firm, has been writing and speaking about her concerns over President Barack Obama’s “blueprint” for reauthorizing and overhauling the education law, known more commonly these days by its original name, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). She spoke with Liz Willen of The Hechinger Report about her latest efforts to preserve the law and shared her thoughts on the current administration’s education initiatives. The following are excerpts from their conversation.


Margaret Spellings
Hechinger Report: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has called the iconic “No Child Left Behind” Act