I am pleased to see that the Obama Administration is taking steps to change the dynamics of the American educational system. He wants to see 5,000 failing schools close and reopen with new principals and teachers over the next five years. The plan for failing schools is part of an effort to fundamentally change perceptions about what works in education.Education Secretary Arne Duncan says kids have only one shot at a good education and
chronically underperforming schools need a new start.Obama doesn't have authority to close schools himself. That power rests with local school districts and states. But the president will have unprecedented money to offer schools from a federal school-turnaround fund. And states have an incentive to act in the federal economic stimulus law, because they must help failing schools improve to be eligible for the dollars.
The administration's goal is for the lowest-performing 1,000 schools — about 1 percent of schools nationwide — to close and reopen each year for the next five years.
Combined with the budget plan released last week, Obama could have as much as $5 billion to facilitate school turnarounds, which could translate to $1 million for every school that is closed and reopened.
I hope that Obama is able to keep the spotlight on his challenge to Americans. We need to significantly increase our efforts in public schools if we plan to maintain our position of global superiority in the future.
What say u?
