Nations Largest Teachers Union wants to see education secretary arne duncan resigned from his position. We want to talk about education in the United States and your thoughts on the best way to boost failing schools. Perhaps you will turn to issues with federal policy, or more local and statelevel issues are your interest as well, but overall, the best ways to boost failing schools. Here is how you can weigh in this morning. Host if you go to the washington times, there is a pressfrom the associated about president obama talking about teachers and initiatives for low income areas. Focuses on the education secretary arne duncan pushing for these reforms after the Teachers Union showed a noconfidence vote. Saying that bit this initiative from the white House Centers on efforts to ensure low income and urban districts still have quality teachers. Joining us on the phone to talk about these issues is a reporter for education week. Good morning. Guest good morning, thanks for having me. Host could you give us the essentials of the program . Guest sure. So under this new program the administration unveiled they will be required to summit plans ensuring that students in underperforming schools have access to as many Great Teachers as students in more advantaged schools. It is actually not all that new. This has been a requirement of the no child left behind act, which was signed way back in 2002. Some states have plans on file with the department of education , but many of those have not been updated for years. Advocacy groups have found them to be lacking, that states are not following through on their promises. This is an effort to put some teeth in an older requirement. Host is there any reason for states not updating these plans, as you talked about . Guest the department has not really put the pressure on them to do this. Also, it is really just a tough thing to do. It is really hard and they have limited authority to make hiring and placement positions, so they are usually made by local districts. But there is only so much states can really do on this. What i think the secretary and the president are trying to do is start a National Dialogue and put a lot of focus on this issue, which sometimes gets swept under the rug. Ast according to the paper, 4 millionplus price tag attached to this. Where does the money get spent . Guest it is a really small number, right, in terms of the federal budget, almost a rounding error. It sounds like the department will use that money to provide Technical Assistance to states, give them some sort of guidance in this area. Presumably they will hire advisors and folks like that or for that sort of thing that the department. Amount of money and this is a huge problem. In order to get those highflying teachers to go to these underperforming schools, districts have offered h teachers bonuses of 10,000, 20,000. It is unlikely it will come out of that tiny 4. 2 million pot. The administration offer specific ideas on how to put teachers in these districts . Guest they havent really been too specific about what needs to be in these plans. Some of the things that have worked in the past ensure that teachers have access to a really good principle, that they have time to plan and collaborate with each other, and they have a chance to work with other colleagues who really believe in the mission of turning around low performing schools. Host what has been the reactions from Teachers Unions . Guest generally the reaction has been very supportive. That is because the isnt being too specific about what it wants to see in these plans. Theyre hoping that they can p withith states to come u equity plans that will include some things that Teachers Want anyway, some of the things i just mentioned, like more time to collaborate with their peers. Klein, tell us why the union wants arne duncan to resign. Guest that is a great question. The secretary has done a lot of things over his tenure that have been controversial. He has been one of the loudest voices in federal policy calling for teachers to be evaluated based on student outcomes. That is something that states and districts are working their way through. A lot of teachers are skeptical and their job to be on the line if the students dont do well on these standardized tests. Host tell us about initiatives weve heard over the years common core, race for the top. How have these done since the administration has highlighted these policies . Nott so common core is actually something that the administration came up with but they have certainly been boosters for it. Statesow more than 40 and the District Of Columbia are using these standards for preparing students for college and careers. Some states are beginning to walk away from the standards. Oklahoma and South Carolina were the most recent states to ditch them. But most states are sticking with the standards. The question is what will happen to common core as the Obama Administration, which is been julie before it which has been a big cheerleader for it, as their time in office comes to an end. The states that originally got the money still have it. There have been improvements in the states but congress is reticent to give the administration any more money for the program. Host what has been the reaction from arne duncan as far as what the nea wants . Guest he has been pretty dismissive not dismissive us in not seeming to care, but like they are a partner, we have enjoyed working with them. He sort of brushed off the comments. He really downplayed that particular vote. Ein withyson kl education week, talking about this initiative with teachers but talking about arne duncan as well. Ms. Klein, thank you for your time. Guest thank you. Host our topic overall is the best way in your mind to boost failing schools. Host this is fred who starts off this morning, ohio. Thanks for waiting. Go ahead. Caller i think the solution is to reduce the involvement of politicians and large institutions interfering with education. Spent a lot of money and effort, damaged education through the testing, through these incentive programs, the corruption in the schools where the data is falsified, spending a lot of money, stress on the students, who dont enjoy learning but are stressed by the tests, teachers that are diverted from teaching to test teach for the test. The money should be put in psychologists, family support, security in the schools, music, art. If we do the things that really help children and have politicians and the large academic institutions to stop interfering and wasting the money, do the things that actually the teachers on the line know will help one had 3 years of chemistry before going to political science. I took calculus. I saw the test for fifth graders. They used terms which even i had to work with, terms that fifthgraders will never remember. The textbooks, they come out with the knowledge they cant learn, knowledge they dont remember host ok. Charlotte from pennsylvania. Caller hello, i am charlotte i shouldnt have said that im a recently graduated student. Im concerned about the metrics that duncan said yesterday. Note why there is no National Standards for things like the common core and other programs. It seems like that would be an easy way to determine where the nation is in its schools. Host charlotte, weve heard a lot about this teaching to the test standard. Being a recent graduate, what is it like being a testtaker . Caller personally, i never minded standardized tests. I would take the test and then i would come home. It is important that students have activities like after school programs, and help with their homework. Standardized tests arent inherently bad. I understand the attitude towards standardized tests but he gives them this negative light. Teachers are wonderful people and i would not be studying what i am studying without my teachers. I dont think we should vilify it. Host kevin in california, hi there. Caller how are you . Host fine, thanks. Caller i want to thank all the veterans listening, god bless you and god bless america. Would like to thank cspan for raising this issue. Education is so important for the United States, so important for the future of the United States. You go to countries like japan, the asian countries, they really prioritize education. They really drill school into their kids from the very beginning. This so important for us to take education for the youth growing up and keep them off the streets and teach them responsibility , timeliness,e teamwork, the values that we are able to apply to the American Workforce and make america as great as it is. Host that is kevin. The education secretary appeared yesterday to talk about this plan and boost education in lowincome areas. [video clip] despite teachers and principals herculean efforts, students in low income families and students of color face daunting achievement gaps. As everyone here knows, access has positivehers impacts for students, including increased achievement levels, increased likelihood of college attendance, and higher wages over the lifetime. Other highperforming countries not only understand this profound truth, but more importantly, they act upon it. In south korea, for example, according to one study, students of lowincome families are more likely than students from wealthier families to have high access to quality teachers. But we have struggled with that in the United States. Today race and Family Income too often still predict access to excellent educators. That is sadly unacceptable and we must do better together. Host your thoughts on the best way to help and boost failing schools, that is the topic for the remainder of our time. Anderson, South Carolina. We hear from an educator this is elizabeth. First, rick in a nashville, tennessee. Caller i used to deal with teachers in their retirement and i used to go to the schools, before or after school, and what i found was i raised a daughter and she will be starting her junior year of college this year. What i found was this was back when mr. Bush cited no daughtert behind my started in an omen to school and they had in an Elementary School and they had no esl classes, english as a second language. As of 10, 12, 11 years ago, whatever it is now they have 15 esl teachers in that same Elementary School. The problem is that you have 4 children in the school. Instance,dren for i had a teacher who went to an innercity school, she wanted to make a difference, but she found out that most of the parents sending their kids to school were sending them to school underdressed, underfed, and they would fall asleep in class. After about five years she said enough is enough and she went back to a better Neighborhood School because she found out she could make a difference. Host we will hear from an educator next. This is elizabeth from South Carolina. Caller ok, i am a retired educator. , but i wasrs old late pardon me . Host go ahead, you are on. Caller i was late getting into education, but enjoyed it immensely. But i can tell you some things from my observation if you will give me a minute that i think would make a real difference. First of all, students need time on task. The days are so chopped up with , and i values music, art, all those things, but when they come into that time teaching time, it really does interop and interrupt education. Accountability must be on all parts. That includes parents. When students overhear their or down talking the system, it is not helpful. They bring that attitude to school, and it really is not helpful. Host that is elizabeth from South Carolina. From the Washington Post this morning, talking about the policy or announcement made yesterday, they w rite that in louisiana the percentage of highly effective is 50 higher in a low poverty, low minority schools than in high poverty, high minority schools. In north carolina, highly effective teachers are 50 more likely to leave a High Poverty School than other more affluent schools. Another educator, ron from minnesota. Caller yeah thanks for having me on. I wanted to be on for quite a while. I am a former reading consultant, learning disability specialist. First of all, let me say jesus slogans dont mean anything. Let me say these slogans dont mean anything. Education is not a race and there is not a top. The great german authors said that in his 70s he was still learning. German authors said that in his 70s he was still learning to read. Learning to read is not based on reading research. The range gets bigger through the school years, not smaller. Another thing is legislators, school board members, therintendents, and secondary principals do not have to take a class in reading in order to be certified. Imagine at corporation hiring somebody that ,adnt studied, say, business law, or accounting. It is time to get people informed on what learning to read is like. It is a long, slow process that goes all through life. And all this hype in the media is just that, nothing more. It is a lot of hype and not based on sound research. Host louisiana on our others line. You are on, go ahead. Caller thank you. My question is what has happened to the use of textbooks in the schools . I am the husband of a retired teacher now and i really respected the hard, hard work of so many teachers, and see a lot of progress in students, but wonder about the changing systems where textbooks used to be the guiding force, and now it seems like they are not. I wondered if there were other opinions about that. Host when you say it doesnt seem like textbooks have the force that they used to, what do you mean by that . Caller that it seems like the schools know longer use the text no longer use the textbooks for even the lesson planning. They are not following the logical course in the different classes. They are teaching it by objectives so they have to from one bounce objective to another, and it is largely tied to the standardized test. It seems like the textbooks were wonderful guides to the education process. Host sonia from tennessee, a parent. Caller good morning, good morning, thank you for having. To get up for work everything, regular, typical american. I have an 18yearold and a 21yearold and i am 42. As a person who has went to school, i went through the process from beginning to end, went to college. It is inevitable to know that all we have to do is the same thing that has been working for decades and centuries, but we have been lackadaisical without his position as parents, as educators with our disposition as parents, as educators. What it was in the 1960s and 1970s that made us who we are, how did we get this far . Not being strung out on drugs and things of that nature, not being confused with their sexual orientation, and yes, i said that, because all that comes into play with what the kids are looking at and what they are looking to replicate and mimic. I honestly think that if we take it back to the core existence of our family structure, everything lines up. If you take care of your children, if you feed them and quilt them, if the standards of the home and the human being are at the front door before they leave out of it, you put the sack lunch with a and send the kids on their way, they remember what you are talking and they take that to heart, because you are the first educator that they know host we heard from a parent. A couple stories we will put in as we take your thoughts on the best way to boost failing schools. For themated price tag select committee on benghazi today may cost 3 million this year. According to a Committee Document provided by democratic leader Nancy Pelosis office, the house wants 3. 3 million for this use special operations on the special committee that created in may. The budget was just under 2. 2 million for republicans and under 1 million for democrats on the committee. It is expected to have a staff of 30. Carol from pittsburgh, go ahead. Hello. Thank you for having me on this morning. I think the tga should be resurrected in the United States, as they were the mediators between the children, for the children, between the parents, and the teachers, and the community would know what they need most. Some children have to be fed a breakfast before they can learn. Here invery badly the city of pittsburgh we put 19 schools up for sale last year. And that is very sad. I suggest that everybody host why did they go up for sale . Caller lack of population. A lot of people move around and work. Children get out of school, they get frustrated, they dont want to go back. You have so many children that do not go to school, and that is another sad situation that should be addressed. You should be educating those that walk through the door and those that dont, so you have to have a tutoring program. If you recruited x teachers or educated people that are unemployed and you ran at 2 walkms those that through the front door and those in have to learn to live an this world and read and write. Pta if you have those in most School Systems anyway . Caller there should be national rules. I dont think we need a lot of new laws to answer these problems. We have answered these problems before but they just have to be resurrected, and i think the pta would be one organization. It is not national anymore. Host weve set aside a line for educators. This is make, and educator nick, an educator from texas. Caller i use technology in a Major High School and in the district for 10 years, one recent study that came up recently by someone who did a t ed talk any show that if you did different computer to poor children in india, they would learn how to use the computer all on the road without an educator there to teach them. They would teach themselves. Set children upon an interesting question, they will discover the answer on their own using technology. The most important factors in general was he called it the an olderctor, where person and knew the answer already but would provide the students with positive feedback, saying what a smart child you are, how