U.S. education secretary calls for overhaul of No Child Left Behind
By Jason Song/Los Angeles Times
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called Tuesday for an overhaul of the federal No Child Left Behind law and urged Los Angeles school management and teachers union leaders to negotiate a new contract that strengthens teacher evaluations. "L.A. faces a perfect opportunity, not a perfect storm," he said during a speech at a United Way of Greater Los Angeles education summit at the Los Angeles Convention Center. "The opportunity, I think, is breathtaking.... Please don't squander it." Many of Duncan's comments echoed remarks by President Obama earlier this month, when he said that the previous administration's signature school accountability law classifies too many schools as academic failures and does not give enough flexibility to local and state educators. (more...)