At the recent conference of the American Association of School Administrator’s Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, US Secretary of Education Duncan said, “I want the federal government to be a partner in encouraging and supporting reforms, but not a boss. The best ideas come from the states and districts, not from Washington.”
Secretary Duncan also said he wants the Department to become an engine of innovation, and not a compliance machine. But at the same time he is addressing the audience, the Department is taking an even harder look at parental involvement and non public participation at the states during recent monitoring visits.
The Secretary also said that funds will stay in the formula programs and he wants them formula driven. And it is true that he is shifting new funds to competitive grants. It is evident that the competitive grants with Race to the Top and school improvement 1003g grants are designed for larger school districts. He stated that USDE will administer competitions that ensure level playing fields for rural and small school districts.
In addressing the reauthorization of ESEA, there will be three guiding principles: 1. Tight on standards, loose on means to reach them; 2. Rewarding excellence by focusing on what is working; and 3. Redefining the federal role by allowing districts to have maximum flexibility and giving parents maximum accountability.
USDE has not provided a formal reauthorization position on ESEA (formerly NCLB). We can get a sense of what they will propose by what they are saying. But what they are saying does not necessarily match with what they are doing. If you are interested in what they are saying, go to www.ed.gov and scroll over “News” in the top task bar. Click on “Speeches.” Pick a speech and read about the moment.
