Assistant Secretary for Communications, US Department of Education
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach at the US Department of Education
PROFILE
Peter Cunningham
Guest
FROM Peter Cunningham
Which Way, L.A.?
Will 'Race to the Top' Leave No Child Behind? " No Child Left Behind " became federal law in 2001, proposed by President Bush and supported by the late Senator Kennedy. The idea was to set high standards and measure student performance with standardized tests so that teachers and schools could be held accountable. It's still the law, but many provisions have become controversial . Now the Obama Administration is asking states to compete for another $4.3 billion in what's called " Race to the Top ."
To the Point
Will 'Race to the Top' Leave No Child Behind? George W. Bush proposed " No Child Left Behind " in 2001, and it passed with the support of many Democrats, most prominently the late Senator Edward Kennedy. The idea was to set high standards and measure student performance with standardized tests so that teachers and schools could be held accountable. It's still the law, but many provisions have become controversial . Now the Obama Administration has created " Race to the Top ." Instead of punishing failing schools, it sets up a $4.3 billion competition for schools to succeed. States are vying to establish charter schools and require standardized tests to evaluate student progress and teacher performance. Do those reforms really work? Will Race to the Top improve existing law or perpetuate its failings?
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To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.