Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

NEWS ABOUT: Arne Duncan

Stories 21 - 37 | << Prev 

Switch to grid view »

Obama Wants More School, Less Summer Break

Wants to give US kids boost globally, idea 'not popular' with Sasha, Malia

(Newser) - Well, Barack Obama’s approval rating just plummeted in the K-12 demographic. The president is calling for longer school days and a shorter summer break, arguing that it’s a necessary step to catch up with kids from around the world. The president admits they’re “not wildly popular... More »

Obama to Pitch Chicago's Olympic Bid in Denmark

First visit by a president to lobby for Olympics

(Newser) - Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen on Thursday to back Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said today. The president will be joined by Michelle Obama and his education and transportation secretaries. Chicago is bidding against Tokyo, Rio de Janiero, and Madrid, but none of... More »

Et tu, Barack? Teachers Lose Another Ally

Embattled unions don't want evaluation based on test scores

(Newser) - Teachers union members are fuming over President Obama's desire to stay the course and evaluate educators based on student test scores, McClatchy reports. Obama is even threatening to withhold California stimulus money unless the state enshrines the student-teacher performance link into law. "It takes more than the ability to... More »

Newt: Obama School Speech 'Good for America'

Dean: green jobs czar 'brought down'; CDC chief warns of swine flu challenges

(Newser) - Who says bipartisanship in Washington is dead? Today, top Republicans sided with President Obama on both his planned speech to schoolchildren and his strategy in Afghanistan, Politico reports. On Fox News Sunday, Newt Gingrich called Obama’s Tuesday speech “good for America.” On Afghanistan, Tim Pawlenty rejected calls... More »

Duncan Poised to Be Most Powerful Ed Sec Ever

Tight with prez, Duncan holds keys to $5B in stimulus funds

(Newser) - Tight with President Obama and with $5 billion at his disposal, Arne Duncan may become the strongest education secretary in history, writes Nia-Malika Henderson for Politico. “Never ever have they had $5 billion to decide what to do in the education system,” says an education advocate. And it’... More »

Prez to Unveil $4B Education Boost Today

Rewards states that push charter schools, teacher performance

(Newser) - President Obama will offer struggling states a carrot and a stick today, as he unveils draft guidelines for a new $4.35 billion education initiative designed to push charter schools, linking teacher pay to performance, and adopting common academic standards. The Race for the Top program, part of the stimulus... More »

Ooops: Chicago Schools Not the Miracle Obama Claimed

(Newser) - Arne Duncan isn’t quite the miracle worker Barack Obama made him out to be, according to a new study from a Chicago civic group. When Obama introduced his nominee for education secretary, he boasted that Duncan had boosted elementary school test results “From 38% of students meeting the... More »

Feds to Streamline Infamous Financial Aid Form

Government hopes trimming FAFSA will get more aid to those who need it

(Newser) - The White House today will unveil its plan to make it easier for students to get federal aid by cutting the fiendishly complex application down to size, the New York Times reports. The FAFSA—Free Application for Federal Student Aid—is notorious for being harder to fill out than a... More »

Obama Razes 'No Child Schoolhouse'

Bush-era name ditched as administration seeks to overhaul education law

(Newser) - A model of a little red schoolhouse used to promote the launch of the federal policy "No Child Left Behind" is no more, the Washington Post reports. In a highly symbolic move, the structure at the entrance of the Department of Education and policy logos of the Bush administration... More »

Sharpton, Gingrich Push Prez on Schools

(Newser) - Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton ran into each other today at the White House, on purpose, to discuss education reform with President Obama, USA Today reports. Sharpton noted that they were “two who have not agreed on anything politically,” but joined in an effort to remedy a “... More »

'No Child' Law Fails to Narrow Racial Gap

Minority students lag behind whites despite overall improvements since 2004

(Newser) - The achievement gap between white and minority students has not been changed by federal No Child Left Behind initiative, the New York Times reports. Scores from a federal test considered to be the most accurate yardstick of reading and writing proficiency show that elementary students have improved across the board... More »

Duncan to Schools: Uncle Sam Is Watching

Education sec says they'd better spend bailout money wisely

(Newser) - States should be careful when spending their stimulus education windfall, because Uncle Sam will be watching, the US education secretary writes in the Wall Street Journal. “We will require an honest assessment of key issues like teacher quality, student performance, college readiness, and the number of charter schools,”... More »

Calif. Gets $4B as Feds Turn on Stimulus Tap

(AP) - Education Secretary Arne Duncan today released nearly $4 billion to California, the first state to benefit from a special fund for states that was created by the economic stimulus law. The fund will replenish state budgets that have been cut or threatened because of the recession. Most of the money... More »

$150B Stimulus to Double Education Budget

$150B spending expected to permanently expand government's role in education

(Newser) - The stimulus plan before Congress today more than doubles the Department of Education's budget, reports the New York Times. An unprecedented extra $150 billion in federal aid would provide funds for nearly every aspect of education, from school construction to college grants. Opponents and backers alike agree that the injection... More »

7 Nominees Confirmed; Clinton Vote Tomorrow

(Newser) - The Senate met after the inauguration today and promptly confirmed seven of President Obama’s nominees by unanimous vote, with the notable exception of Hillary Clinton, the Chicago Tribune reports. A vote on Clinton has been scheduled for tomorrow after Harry Reid and Sen. John Cronyn, who has concerns about... More »

Obama on Ed Pick: Gifted Leader (and Great Jump Shot)

Also promises reform and stuff

(Newser) - Barack Obama introduced Arne Duncan as his secretary of education pick today, lauding the Chicago educator's accomplishments in reforming the country's third-largest school district, and noting that he's also a longtime basketball buddy who has a better jump shot than the president-elect. “I didn't pick Arne because he's a... More »

Obama Picks Duncan for Education Secretary

(Newser) - Barack Obama has chosen Chicago schools reformer Arne Duncan for secretary of education, the Wall Street Journal reports. During his 7 years as Chicago schools chief, Duncan has been known for hiring new teachers and closing struggling schools without alienating unions. He is also friendly with Obama and plays pick-up... More »

Stories 21 - 37 | << Prev 
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   Geek Sugar   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment