On eve of July 4th holiday, it’s time to “Let Freedom Ring”
WASHINGTON, DC (June 29, 2017) — The release today by CER of Beyond the First 100 Days: Transforming government’s role in education is a review of progress to date, a reiteration of its January, 2017 recommendations to the Trump Administration, and an extension for completion of the work that must be performed.
Said CER Founder and CEO Jeanne Allen, “As we say in the introduction, we prefer a model that achieves competency over just measuring time on task, so we’re giving the Administration an extension. It takes time to transform education to impact greater educational opportunity and personalization for all students.”
The report urges the Administration to be bold and consider what’s possible when taking control of a $70 billion agency – and the other several agencies that touch education – and encourages a more sweeping approach to its action. “It’s not just about a school choice program, or increased charter school funding, or small innovation grants,” Allen said. “It’s about dismantling the top-down mandates and arcane characterizations of schools that created the need for the micro schools, innovative charters, competency-based programs and innovative higher education offerings in the first place.”
“We said at the outset that this is an historic opportunity for change and that remains true,” Allen said. “And there’s plenty of time to accomplish great things, but it will take focus and commitment, which is what Beyond the First 100 Days is all about: providing recommendations that add substance, energy and direction to the Administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal role in education and bring real change.”
CER first issued its agenda, titled The First 100 Days: The path to going bold on education innovation and opportunity, in January just as President Trump was taking office. Since then some recommendations on the agenda have been taken up, but many have not yet fully been reached or pursued. (Beyond the First 100 Days’ introduction includes a scorecard that rates the Administration’s action on issues so far.)
The agenda remains an important guide, Allen explained, offering ideas for action that will result in making personalized learning a reality for millions, ensuring quality teaching, access to innovative and relevant higher education opportunities, and new choices throughout the nation.
“As we look toward the historic 4th of July holiday, we need to remember that the freedoms our Founders fought for are just as critical in education as they are in our day-to-day lives,” said Allen. “We all hope this effort will serve as a call to ‘Let Freedom Ring’ for all learners, at all levels.”
