Politico.com asked a number of people to suggest what President Obama should say in his annual State of the Union Address and what he was likely to say instead. Yours truly weighed in below. You will see that I recommended that he toss out Race to the Top as a failed initiative and get a new Secretary of Education. But just take a look at the headline summary of my written remarks. Since most of those who were asked to comment represent the status quo, they concluded “Most suggestions line up pretty well with existing policy preferences.” My suggestions did not.
“By Libby A. Nelson
With help from Caitlin Emma, Maggie Severns, Nirvi Shah and Stephanie Simon
WHAT ADVOCATES WANT TO HEAR IN STATE OF THE UNION: The White House met with education groups a week ago in preparation for this year’s speech. Past State of the Union addresses have pushed pre-K, college completion and Race to the Top. What does 2014 hold? This wishlist from education policy analysts and advocates might have a familiar ring: Most suggestions line up pretty well with existing policy preferences.
On Common Core: The Fordham Institute’s Michael Brickman hopes Obama won’t breathe a word about the Common Core. [http://bit.ly/1hjPxXr] If anything, Obama should apologize for taking credit for the Common Core in 2012, said Chad Aldeman of Bellwether Education Partners. “He should acknowledge the federal government’s role in encouraging states to adopt the Common Core but clearly and unequivocally state that, while he personally supports the Common Core because it’s a high-quality and common set of standards, he never has and never will tell a state or local community which standards it should follow.” Anne Hyslop of the New American Foundation agreed: “The most effective champions for Common Core these days are not coming from Washington, D.C., and certainly not from the administration.”
-What else should he avoid? Maybe he should stay away from education altogether, said Michael Petrilli of Fordham. “The federal government hasn’t done such a stellar job, so let’s keep mum in the speech,” he said. Kris Perry of the First Five Years fund: “We hope the President doesn’t declare ‘mission accomplished’ on early childhood education, simply because of the good news coming from the appropriations bill, or that he’s scaling down his requests on early childhood. Now is the time to ramp up our efforts, not to pack it in.”
-So what should he say? Possible policy goals: Ending childhood hunger due to its inherent link to improving educational success (Billy Shore of Share Our Strength). He could talk about the great role community colleges play in the development of a healthy middle class (David Baime, American Association of Community Colleges). Richard Barth of the KIPP Foundation would love to see Obama reiterate his goal of increasing college graduation rates for low-income students. And he could back off of his administration’s push to rate teachers based at least in part on student test scores, said Mark Naison , a history professor at Fordham University and co-founder of the Badass Teachers Association. Or he could take a stronger position in favor of education reform and accountability for students, said Hanna Skandera, New Mexico’s state education chief and the chairwoman of Chiefs for Change.
-Noelle Ellerson of AASA: The Superintendents Association, wants Obama to direct Congress to get back to working on reauthorizing ESEA. And the right new version of the law could encompass most of the president’s education initiatives, such as early education and education technology, minus the competition. “Rather than siphon off political chits and divide resources (political support and funding) by creating stand alone programs, focus on the federal flagship K-12 program, ESEA.”
-A new speechwriter? Education historian and activist Diane Ravitch dashed off her own version of an ideal Obama speech: “I am canceling all the unproductive mandates associated with Race to the Top, which have caused teaching to the test and wasted billions of dollars. I am delighted to announce that Arne Duncan, who served nobly in my first administration, has agreed to become the American ambassador to Micronesia.”
-The big picture: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has a 30,000-foot goal for the address: “Rather than the yearly overtesting of our students, I’d like to see us deeply examine and embrace what other countries that outperform us in education do: hands-on learning, professional development and wraparound services.”
What I would like most for Obama to say: “I have failed as a president. I have reneged on nearly every promise I made as a candidate and I am sincerely embarrassed. I am resigning effective immediately, along with Vice President Biden and all other successors. Effective immediately Bernie Sanders will be the acting President of the United States, conditional upon his appointment of Diane Ravitch as Secretary of Education.”
Hey, I can dream, right?
He can say whatever he likes, but he should wear a jacket covered with the logos of all of his corporate sponsors and backers. Sort of like a NASCAR driver.
I would like him to say this —
“And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I’ll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner.”
Only mean it this time …
Sounds great . Hope this list comes true.. I am hopeful that our Gov.t will soon start doing the right and appropriate services for our great students. Long overdue!!!
“Arne Duncan, American ambassador to Micronesia” Too funny!
What do you have against Micronesia? 😉
Micronesia now!
Elbonia. Our ambassador to Elbonia.
Micronesia: Perfect place for someone used to micromanaging!
Micronesia: “Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.” Perfect for Arne!
Micronesia: 26.7% of the population below the poverty line.
(Actually the Federated States of Micronesia.) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fm.html
Diane, if you have time I’d love it if you would listen to this and comment on it.
It’s Duncan with two “teacher fellows”. They ask him about the role of corporate interests and foundations in education.
It’s interesting, because he almost immediately veers off topic and goes to zero tolerance and gun violence, but they are persistent and they ignore his detour and ask him again.
When he answers the question he omits Gates and Broad and talks about GE and the Ford Foundation, so one of the teachers asks him directly about Gates and Broad.
They two teachers really did a good job. They made it very clear that this is a concern they are hearing from teachers, a corporate agenda and Gates and Broad having undue influence over public schools.
http://www.ed.gov/blog/2014/01/arne-duncan-answers-teachers-questions-on-the-role-of-private-funds-and-interests-in-education/
I wish he’d say he values our public schools and recognizes that they were created and cared for by people who came before him and he knows he has a duty to leave them better and stronger than he found them.
Hear, hear!
Here’s what I would like to have him say:
“I was asked whether I was going to mention education in tonight’s speech, but I’m the fellow who appointed Arne Duncan Secretary of Education. After that, why would anyone think that I have anything to say on this subject worth listening to?”
Way to go, Diane! My deepest sympathies to Micronesia/
Dear Micronesians: No call for alarm. This was not a serious proposal. It was meant simply as a colorful way of expression our country’s desire to get this heedless hooligan as far from our schools as is physically possible, and Micronesia happened to fit the bill, geographically. Seriously, as egregious as some of our activities in the world have been, we would not inflict that on you! Sending Duncan to you would be a clear violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits using such destructive forces against peaceful noncombatants.
cx: expressing, not expression, of course!
This just in:
Thousands of Micronesians Gather to Protest Ravitch Proposal
[queue video of Micronesians chanting, “First Bikini Atoll, Now This. Enough Is Enough!”]
Survivor Micronesia: pits Arne against Bill and Michelle and Eli and, well, you know the rest