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Secretary Duncan speaks out on school vouchers
In an apparent reversal of his position on school vouchers, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told The Associated Press that poor children getting vouchers to attend private schools in the District of Columbia should be allowed to stay there. In a clarification, however, Duncan said, "I don't think vouchers ultimately are the answer. We need to be more ambitious. The goal shouldn't be to save a handful of children. The goal should be to dramatically change the opportunity structure for entire neighborhoods of kids." The voucher issue has been contentious, with Congressional Democrats hoping to kill the program by drafting a bill that dictates Congress and the city council would have to approve more money for it, an unlikely scenario. A closer examination of what Duncan said shows that while he opposes vouchers overall, his attitude in D.C.'s particular case is driven by practicality: "I don't think it makes sense to take kids out of a school where they're happy and safe and satisfied and learning," Duncan said. "I think those kids need to stay in their school." While many urban superintendents oppose vouchers, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is similarly open to the program. The five-year pilot gives scholarships to about 1,700 poor kids in the District to attend private schools, and is set to end this year. A vote on the new bill is imminent.
Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iJue5hj8R1JXT2QPTMcrmRPjpZkQD96NJJV80

Retooling our global edge
In his first address to deal exclusively with education, President Barack Obama proposed lengthening the school year and increasing pay for high-performing teachers to regain an American edge in the world economy, Reuters reports. "Despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us," Mr. Obama told the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens, and my fellow Americans, we have everything we need to be that nation." To fulfill this potential, the president outlined a "cradle-to-career" plan that expanded early childhood programs and gave more money to states that raised student standards, tracked student progress, and cut drop-out rates. The president made clear that his administration will put the full weight of the federal government behind the reforms, tripling funds for education in the 2010 fiscal year beginning October 1. "In a 21st-century world where jobs can be shipped wherever there's an internet connection, where a child born in Dallas is competing with children in Delhi... education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, it is a prerequisite," he said.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR2009031000477.html

The National Association of Independent Schools: Challenge 20/20 Partnership
The National Association of Independent Schools invites schools to participate in Challenge 20/20, a program that brings together two schools: one from the United States and one from outside of the United States. Teacher-student teams from both schools work together throughout the fall 2009 school semester to come up with a solution to a global problem. Challenge 20/20 is based on Jean François Rischard's book, "High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them." Maximum award: program participation. Eligibility: all U.S. schools, elementary and secondary, public or private. Deadline: August 17, 2009.
http://www.nais.org/resources/index.cfm?ItemNumber=147262

CERTIFICATE RENEWAL

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