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?
Recommended
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.