Sec. Duncan on Obama’s Plan to Increase Education Spending
EmailABC News’ Mary Bruce Reports:
Education Secretary Arne Duncan offered details this afternoon on Obama’s plan to increase education spending by six percent in the 2011 budget. “Given how tough the economy is now, having a six percent increase at this point I think is extraordinary and you’re not seeing that frankly happen any place else,” Duncan told reporters on a conference call this afternoon. “But this is not just about spending more, this is about spending wisely.”
As Jake Tapper reported, Obama will propose the increased spending in his State of the Union address tonight. The President will also call for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), a step towards overhauling the Bush administration’s “No Child Left Behind” passed in 2002.
“We are building bipartisan and grass-roots support for reauthorizing the federal education law to boost standards, promote a well-rounded education, foster competition, and give states and district as much flexibility as possible. As I often say, our role is to provide a common definition of success, not a prescription for success,” Duncan said.
The budget will call for a $3 billion increase in federal education spending, which includes the $1.3 billion announced last week for another round of the “Race To The Top” grant competition. An additional $1 billion in funding is on the table contingent on the reauthorization of ESEA, which Duncan hopes to see this year.
“It’s very unusual to have a budget that is contingent upon legislative action, but the President is so deeply committed to education and there are further reforms we hope to accelerate with this money,” Duncan said.
The budget will also include what the Secretary referred to as “a massive investment in college access.” The administration expects to provide aid to nearly 15 million students next year, roughly five out of every seven college students in the country. Details of the investment will be revealed next week, but a large portion will be included in the proposal to switch to a direct lending program which the administration believes will save $87 billion over 10 years.
Finally the budget will consolidate 38 K-12 programs down to 11 to “reduce red tape” and will eliminate entirely six programs that Duncan said duplicate others or are ineffective.
Education is often cited as an example where Republicans and the administration are working together. “This is one area where we share values and policy ideas. While there will always be some disagreements, there is much more that we have in common,” Duncan said.
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We need a mandate (laws) passed to push the parents to be parents and take some initative to make their kids do right. The education system has no accountability for the parents. It does for everyone else but them. When will we realize that the parents are what make it go! This must be addressed in some form.
Posted by: Ted | January 27, 2010, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
Over $19,000 per pupil is spent in Washington, DC. The students are stupider than ever. Yet politicians always think more money is the answer. It’s clearly not.
Posted by: Mary | January 27, 2010, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
Education will be of little value, if there are no jobs for graduates.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | January 27, 2010, 5:21 pm 5:21 pm
This is a joke. My state is a donor state and we have slashed education spending. Our schools are a joke now. The federal government will not make up what the states have cut. Even more insulting is that Obama is making the states compete for funds. If you want good schools and good teachers, you have to give them proper funding, not make them jump through hoops for crumbs.
Our country is moving backwards and becoming ignorant. Meanwhile countries like China are investing in education and infrastructure. Where does our money go? To Wall St crooks and wars.
I am starting to wish I could move because it seems to be getting worse. We don’t seem to be able to elect competent Presidents anymore.
Posted by: Bubbles | January 27, 2010, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
The budget will also include what the Secretary referred to as “a massive investment in college access.”
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What good is it “increase access” when students are not prepared (or in some cases, not capable)? My guess would be through lowering of standards… More wasted money. But good for the teacher’s unions.
The question not answered in this “report” was how much the Dept. of Education budget increased from 2009 to 2010. If I remember correctly, it was a significant amount – So, just as Obama is doing with “discretionary spending freeze” this appears to be ploy where the baseline is significantly elevated and then spending is flat-lined/minimally increased and Obama & Crew claim fiscal responsibility/fiscal sobriety…
Posted by: tjp612 | January 27, 2010, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
So right wingers would prefer to spend less on education because somehow that will enable us to compete in the future with other countries that are ahead of us in education.
The stupidity is breathtaking.
Posted by: Ryan C | January 27, 2010, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
So right wingers would prefer to spend less on education because somehow that will enable us to compete in the future with other countries that are ahead of us in education.
Yup:
U.S. tops the world in school spending but not test scores
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States spends more public and private money on education than other major countries, but its performance doesn’t measure up in areas ranging from high-school graduation rates to test scores in math, reading and science, a new report shows.
“There are countries which don’t get the bang for the bucks, and the U.S. is one of them,” said Barry McGaw, education director for the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which produced the annual review of industrialized nations.
The United States spent $10,240 per student from elementary school through college in 2000, according to the report. The average was $6,361 among more than 25 nations.
Posted by: Skool is Kool | January 27, 2010, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
Nice to know that if you write the truth about our Founding Fathers–that they were Deists, not Christians–it gets censored. Read The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine.
Posted by: Bubbles | January 27, 2010, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
“The stupidity is breathtaking.”
Typical liberal thinking: Throw money at the problem and desired results will ensue. Can’t blame libs, their life experiences are generally pretty limited.
How about greater accountability for educators? How about more funding for charter schools?
The teacher unions do not support either of these initiatives, therefore the Left is against both.
Posted by: tjp612 | January 27, 2010, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
How about greater accountability for educators?
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You speak as if you’ve read nothing about the Race To The Top program? If ignorance was bliss the entire right wing Republican movement would be giggling their way to hypocritical hell.
Posted by: tierra | January 27, 2010, 6:37 pm 6:37 pm
Head Start. Doesn’t.
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | January 27, 2010, 7:11 pm 7:11 pm
I thought there was a freeze on spending.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 27, 2010, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm
I thought there was a freeze on spending.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | Jan 27, 2010 7:22:45 PM
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The proposed spending freeze would be an overall spending freeze, with individual budgets decreased or increased to achieve this. This is not the blanket, inflexible “everything is frozen into place as is” position (the hatchet) position proposed by McCain. It is the ‘scalpel’ approach championed by Obama which would maintain an overall freeze but allow for internal adjustments.
These details were previously covered in Political Punch and other news media.
Posted by: tierra | January 27, 2010, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm
To Tierra @ 6:37 pm and 7:45 pm …. oh if we could all be as educated and intelligent as you. I stand in awe of your apparent deep understanding of the Race to the Top program as well as your grasp of exactly what this “spending freeze” is all about. You are so well versed on these topics and even know the difference between the “across the board” spending freeze and the “scalpel” approach. So sorry that others on these boards don’t have time to sit here all day and read Political Punch. So sorry we are not all so “up to the minute” on this Race to the Top program. This utter ignorance on our part would make it seem as though we have been preoccupied for ummmm i don’t know … a YEAR with our President stuffing this healthcare reform crap down our throat that we weren’t aware of the fact that he has just IN THE LAST THREE DAYS decided to STOP SPENDING and start worrying about education. but oh yeah … there’s a catch isn’t there? He will have to spend BILLIONS to now reform education. But I digress … I am so unintelligent and uninformed … I wouldn’t BEGIN to question the wisdom of our Dear Leader. Obama? No — I’m not talking about Obama. Why I am talking about Tierra the Great and Educated One!
Posted by: Teri | January 27, 2010, 8:20 pm 8:20 pm
Posted by: Teri | Jan 27, 2010 8:20:03 PM
As is way too often the case for the right wing and the Republican right, when they have no ideas to offer in a discussion they retreat to personal insults and attack campaigns. Creepy.
Posted by: tierra | January 27, 2010, 8:34 pm 8:34 pm
Throwing more money at the disasterous public education program? Good idea, let’s make things worse for even more people.
Posted by: jennifert7 | January 27, 2010, 8:39 pm 8:39 pm
Arne Duncan was head of schools in Chicago. If you really want to know what to expect in the realm of education, take a good look at the state of schools and education in Chicago! Not encouraging, to say the least. Basically sub-standard. But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourselves.
Posted by: Michiel W Illinois | January 27, 2010, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
Throwing more money at the disasterous public education program? Good idea, let’s make things worse for even more people.
Posted by: jennifert7 | Jan 27, 2010 8:39:14 PM
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You speak as if you’ve read nothing about the Race To The Top program.
Posted by: tierra | January 28, 2010, 1:11 am 1:11 am
South Carolina Republicans have the answer, just stop feeding school kids who get public meals, that way they won’t breed.
Hopefully later on this week, those very same people may be in church hearing a sermon about ‘am I my brother’s keeper’ as opposed to a republican speech about exterminating the poor by starvation
Posted by: Yowsa | January 28, 2010, 1:21 am 1:21 am
Who in the heck would be against Educating our children…We all need to Stand up on this one. Arne Duncan had Great Ideas for Chicago Public Schools…year round, live in schools for kids from troubled areas and homes…brought those test scores up, but didn’t stop the drop out rate…he was very visible and vocal about that school system…I know…live in Bronzeville for years. Let Arne Duncan have his way and America will have as many scientist, mathematicians and doctors as China does. China invest in China America invest in short term “feel goods”, WARS and hatred of each other. Sad isn’t it!
Posted by: sara | January 28, 2010, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
tierra – the freeze is to be on discretionary spending -and this is discretionary spending. And no details have been given on the Race to the Top grants. That is why all but one school district in my area has voted to NOT pursue the grant. Unfortunately, my school district voted to pursue it. There are too many unanswered questions. There is no information as to what will become unfunded mandates.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 29, 2010, 9:15 am 9:15 am
Teri – tierra can’t be up on Race to the Top, because there aren’t any details available yet. All she is going on is what she THINKS it will be.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 29, 2010, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Food for thought… the US was #1 in education until President Carter made the Department of Education a cabinet level position & the federal government started actively messing with local school districts. Perhaps we should go back to the way we used to do things.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 29, 2010, 9:17 am 9:17 am
Adding more community colleges may help Obama reach his gal of 60% college graduates by 2020, however I think the education should begin at an earlier age. I think discussing college plans with a young teenager in middle school reaps greater benefits than talking to the their Junior or Senior year of high school. Students need to be made aware of their options, whether it be attending a University or a local community college. I think Obama is trying to raise our Nations education while keeping it at a low cost of community college.
Suellen,
Editor, Collegeinkentucky.org – A Directory of Colleges in Kentucky
Posted by: Suellen | October 15, 2010, 11:44 am 11:44 am