Education is the great equalizer and is required in a well-functioning democracy. Unfortunately, our Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has proven that he is out of touch with the needs of our students:
1) He stated that “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina.” The result that he heralds is a system where public schools have been dismantled. It is now completely comprised of charter schools.
2) Standardized testing has grown under his tenure. The high-stakes nature of these tests is stressful for students, leaves less time for instruction and wastes limited education funds.
3) He has never taught in a classroom and should be seeking the input of teachers on what reforms would actually help our students. Instead, he has alienated them