Controversy and Worry: Education in 2010

Education in America had a big 2010. Oprah jumped on the already moving revolution, "Waiting for Superman" hit theaters, and the Obama administration created more programs and dispersed more money for schools. America's schools changed in 2010 and the public took note, at least more than it had in the past. Month by month, here is a recap of what the first half of the previous year brought.

January: 40 states and D.C. submitted applications in Phase 1 of Race to the Top funding. Race to the Top is the Obama administration's tweak to the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind program. Some schools again scrambled to change their programs to align with new expectations. Other schools hailed the end of NCLB.

February: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke at the National Governors Association's winter meeting. This quiet meeting later grew controversy concerning the influence of private entrepreneurs and businesses on the nation's education system. Now when states compete for money, they must show how they have aligned their curriculum with new national learning standards. Concern bred worry that states were losing control to the federal government and wealthy, influential people in charge of said national core standards.

March: The release of the Nation's Report Card in Reading for fourth and eighth graders.

America's report card showed that fourth grade reading scores were unchanged, while eighth grade scores were up just one point from the previous report card. With schools' increased work and implementation of new programs, during recent years, the public raised frustrations. Secretary Arne Duncan issued a statement reminding Americans that working with our youth is the responsibility of all.

April: Arts Education Partnership held the Spring 2010 National Forum, "States of Change: New Leadership in Arts and Education." The forum covered reaching students, the role of arts in education reform, and creating community service through music and other art programs. This was good news for art programs cut in attempts to raise test scores for NCLB.

May: Mom's Congress. Private sectors as well as Secretary Duncan came together for a Town Hall meeting with Mom Congress delegates and hundreds of D.C.-area parents. Topics ranged from the role that parents play in helping implement America's education goals, to improving the country's school system to the educational opportunities available to our nation's children.

June: United We Serve: Let's Read. Let's Move. launched. This summer program between multiple government departments aimed to curb the problems now associated with long summer breaks. Students lose reading skills and lack access to healthy food when they are not attending school. This program worked within communities to offset those problems.
Check back for the last half of education's most controversial and important happenings of 2010.

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