Sen. Harkin Joins Secretary of Education For Cedar Rapids Forum
By Chris Earl, Anchor/Reporter
Parents and educators congregate at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids to gain information from Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Dave Loebsack along with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as they discuss the Elementary and Secondary Education Act - revising the No Child Left Behind Act on Sunday, March 14, 2010. (Julie Koehn/The Gazette)
CEDAR RAPIDS – Amid the tense words fired off daily over health care reform, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, says the push to improve public education should not become as tense.
“I have put together a team of Republicans and Democrats to work on this,” said Harkin on Sunday afternoon, just minutes after he led a discussion on the updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School.
A crowd of about 200 people, including educators and school administrators from many districts, took an hour out of their Sunday afternoon to listen to the Obama Administration's push to move from the No Child Left Behind Act to a revised ESEA.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described the problems with No Child Left Behind, which both the Senate and House overwhelmingly voted into place in 2002.
“Too punitive. Too prescriptive,” said Duncan. “We want to have a high bar and reward success.”
Over the weekend, the Department of Education's Web site released a 41-page “blueprint” for the new ESEA. The document does not go deep into specifics, such as differences that would be implemented by the administration. However, Harkin indicated education reform would be in place by the end of the year.
Duncan described early childhood education as “hugely important” along with K-12 reform. He reiterated President Obama's call on Saturday for public education that ensures more high school graduates are ready for careers once their public education is complete.
In the President's Saturday radio address, he stressed less of a focus on standardized tests and more on an individual student's total record. “Our view is that it has to be more rounded that just one test at one time,” said Harkin on Sunday.
Questions from the audience at Jefferson ranged from funding special education programs, gifted courses, emphasizing physical education and arts classes again and trying to keep the most talented teachers from leaving the profession.
Harkin said, from a national standpoint, this is needed as he pointed to “1.2 million students” who drop out of school each year.
As many Iowa school districts face budget shortfalls and look at cutting courses, staff or even buildings, Duncan's proposal calls for at least a $3 billion increase for educational programs.
Harkin admitted achieving this would require more money to execute.
“All levels of government have to step up to the plate on this one,” said Harkin. “We are not going to have a strong economic recovery in this country unless we focus on education.”
Dr. Dave Benson, superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, said the Department of Education's plan would allow the district to compete for federal grants for various programs. Yet he also admitted that would come with a cost, even as his school district is also trying to balance its budget.
“We need to find a way to fund our priorities,” said Benson after Sunday's forum. “Our priorities have to be what works and what enhances education for kids.”
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