A New Normal In Education

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently spoke at an American Enterprise Institute forum on the topic of a "New Normal" in education

. The "New Normal" says Duncan, are the standards and guidelines which education, at all levels, must be held to even amidst factors like inadequate funding. Duncan presents several solutions to overcome funding issues. But the solutions, he warns must not increase productivity by inadvertently cutting funding in such a way that decreases the quality of either traditional or online schools and negatively affects students.

Duncan noted, in his speech, that teacher compensation accounts for 40 to 50 percent of a school district's expenses. Much of this compensation is paid in additional wages to teachers with a master's degree. Although teachers need to be well-paid for the work that they do evidence doesn't exist that shows that teacher's who have earned master's degrees are able to effectively enhance student performance. Increased teacher compensation can create unbalance in a school district's budget and cause certain areas of education to suffer. One such example, as pointed out by Duncan, is technology.

Duncan claims that technology can play an increasing role in education, as long as it presents an innovative option to teaching and learning. Also, and perhaps most importantly when considering a smaller budget, technology must be made available to teachers and students. When the quality or accessibility of technology used for education within a school district suffers, so does the quality of the education itself.

"Better use ofonline learning, virtual schools, and other smart uses of technology is not so much about replacing educational roles as it is about giving each person the tools they need to be more successful-reducing wasted time, energy, and money," said Duncan.

by: Emily Sismour

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