CER RELEASES THE FIRST 100 DAYS: AN AGENDA FOR FEDERAL ACTION ON EDUCATION
An agenda for federal action on education.
WASHINGTON, DC (January 11, 2017) — Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER), today announced the release of The First 100 Days: The Path to Going Bold on Education Innovation and Opportunity, an agenda for action by the federal government during the first 100 days of the Trump Administration.
“This is an historic opportunity for the Department of Education to redefine the focus and effectiveness of the federal government’s role in education,” Allen said. The First 100 Days lays out an assertive plan of action that can truly launch a revolution in education.”
“To that end,” Allen says in the document’s forward, “we respectfully urge the Trump-Pence Administration to use its first 100 days to launch initiatives that will serve as the basis for programs that provide students with access to truly exceptional education at all levels, and that will pave the way for the U.S. to begin to realize a fair return, in terms of value, on its enormous financial investment in education.”
The First 100 Days cites four areas of focus for the new administration: spending, teaching, higher education, and educational choice.
1. Spending: Federal spending needs to be redirected, repackaged, and permitted to be used across traditional program lines. A serious, publicly transparent review — carried out in a finite amount of time — should be conducted to determine how every federal dollar spent on education can better meet the needs of schools and students. The Administration should establish a commission, like the Reagan-era National Commission on Excellence in Education to provide advice and guidance in this effort.
2. Teaching: Solve the crisis in teaching. Encourage the opening up of the teaching profession to experienced subject-matter experts, thought leaders and international expertise, and expand our nation’s pool of instructors by including individuals who are able to, but precluded from, teaching due to flawed certification mandates.
3. Higher Education: Recast the federal role in higher education, creating more opportunities for both the private and public sectors to serve the needs of students seeking higher education at every level.
4. Educational Choice: The federal government should recognize state initiatives that provide opportunities for students beyond the limitations of traditional public schools. Prior to 1990 such programs as private school vouchers, tax credits, charter schools and other mechanisms for providing school choice did not exist in a substantial way. As a result, the federal government sees them as contrary the original definition of public education. That view should change, quickly.
In a postscript headlined “An Agenda for Advocates,” The First 100 Days notes that “there are scores more issues to tackle,” and calls on education reform advocates and activists to continue to push for change, urging: a boost in public awareness and increased transparency in government policies and actions; the bolstering state education reform efforts; outreach and engagement to educate state legislators; and embracing innovative school districts.
