Obama's Education Secretary Pick Gets Ready for Confirmation

" Audacity of Hope"

Recently I sent a letter to President Barack Oboma regarding the children of America and their education. While we want everyone to have equal opportunities, every one is not created equal. Many of our children are not academically inclined and are placed in situations where they have no chance of success.

There are many students who could become the crafts people of the future. As we rebuild the inner cities and infrastucture we are insuring that we havr productive members of society.

My plan is to have multiple levels of testing; college preparatory, special education, vocational programs.

Some children will not be able to further their education and will graduate with low skills or decide to drop out of school.Many of our children end up at fast food restaurants earning the minimum wage, which puts them behind the eight ball, and they see no hope in their lives. Those who do not wish to work in low paying jobs, become a burden on our society.

The alternative plan is to train our students in various vocations so that we are able to stimulate their minds and create productive members in our society.By creating apprenticeships in those vocations in need, we not only help our kids, we help our community and country. The children who are in this proghram will be working in their community, fixing the cars, garages, and homes.

If the students fail or exhibit inappropriate behavior, these students will not be allowed to continue in program. Utlizing retired personnel to train out students will reduce program costs. The government will monitor the bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, mechanics, and plumbers who are accepted into the program.Grants and funds from the Federal Government will reduce unemployment and problems within the community. Students will become contributing members of our society, paying taxes and being able to purchase needed items for their families and health care upon graduation. This will reduce the drain on our budgets.

The neighborhoods will be spruced up. Only those who can not afford to fix their homes would be eligible for the program,(low income) so that students would not infringe on union and non-union workers.

This could be the start of the United States Restoration Project.

Well, it could have been worse...

I am just so glad that he did not pick Linda Darling-Hammond, as many were suggesting some months ago. The charter school she helps run near her home base of Stanford University is an amalgam of everything that is wrong with the direction public education is heading. That being said, I worry when any politician talks about working with "urgency," as that sounds to me like a call to pass legislation quickly without a careful analysis and dialogue of and about the issues. In our hurry to reform education, in our desperation, we may inadvertently make things worse, all because we did not take the time to really look at issues, to peel away the hurt feelings, damaged egos and political correctness that have become the hallmark of failing American schools. That is an urgent mission, but it will take time, and if done so with care, the solutions Mr. Duncan and his team come up with will be well thought out, not knee-jerk "out-with-NCLB" reactions. I agree that NCLB, while noble in spirit, is an absolute train wreck, and like all wrecked vehicles, needs to be scrapped, not salvaged. But what is chosen to replace NCLB is just as important. I like Duncan's quote about "smart" being "cool," and I think I would like for Obama to be a Jeb Bartlett-style president ("West Wing" reference, for the culturally impaired, ha ha ha) with that kind of raw intellect, and the chutzpah to use it. Good luck, Mr. Obama.

Duncan gets high praise at confirmation but is short on specifics

Arne Duncan, President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the Department of Education, pledged Tuesday to work with an "extraordinary sense of urgency" to improve the nation's public schools.

During a Senate confirmation hearing, Duncan said he would focus on expanding early childhood education programs, improving the quality of teaching, and making college more affordable. But the secretary-designate offered few specifics about these initiatives

Still, Democratic and Republican senators praised his appointment and all but assured him that he would face an easy confirmation.

Duncan said the Obamas' success has motivated school leaders, students, and other education stakeholders and added that he would capitalize on that enthusiasm to bring about change in schools.

"Never before has being smart been so cool," Duncan said.

Spellings you are out of there.

Spellings, I can not wait till 1/20/2009 when your butt is out. Your Nazi style NCLB school voucher hidden agenda will be out the door. Please don't let the door hit you on the way out. NCLB is done, live with it Margret Spellings. Good ridence to the trash you are.

Will he challenge the assumptions?

The tacit assumption of 'education reform' is that the primary responsibility rests with policy-makers, administrators and teachers. However, as Marian Wright Edelman contends, parents bear the primary responsibility for the nurture of their parents. The real question is if Mr. Duncan will be able to treat all the stakeholders AS stakeholders, including those who bear primary responsibility for the nurture of their children.