US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Governor Chris Gregoire and legislative leadership Duncan congratulated state lawmakers on discussing the issue of education reform, even through tough budget times. He further drew attention to the grave problems troubling education in the United States鈥攁 25% national dropout rate, poor STEM education, the large number of students taking remedial courses, and gaping budget gaps, which challenge the adequate funding of education.
Of particular interest, Duncan commented on the current system of education governance in Washington, claiming: 鈥淲ashington has eight different agencies with different strategic plans working in Washington and it鈥檚 very difficult for me to understand how having different agencies handling education鈥ill transform education.鈥�
Governor Gregoire has in to consolidate education governance into one Department of Education headed by the Governor. The would also consolidate many existing state education agencies into four primary education divisions: Early Years Division, K-12 Division, Community College and Technical Education Division, and the University Programs Division. All units would report to a new Department of Education Secretary.
Secretary Duncan reiterated President Obama鈥檚 despite the economic downturn, and gave examples of strategic programs and innovations the administration is working towards:
-Investing in Early Learning programs like , which studies have shown to improve achievement especially for disadvantaged students who do not have many educational opportunities at home
-Continuing the program which rewards schools for outstanding innovation and improvement in education (if approved by Congress)
Lastly, Governor Gregoire distributed a document describing how much it costs taxpayers when students 鈥渇all through the cracks鈥� of the education system– by dropping out, taking remedial courses, or repeating grades–a number her advisers estimate at around $ 100 million a year. Though the problems facing education in Washington state and in the nation are indeed grave, it was encouraging to see lawmakers pause during a critical week to discuss education. As Secretary Duncan asserted, 鈥渙ur children cannot wait for the economy to bounce back鈥濃�攅ducation must remain a priority, despite the dire budget situation.