U.S. Education Secretary Arnie Duncan will be in Des Moines today to give the keynote address at the governor’s education summit. Duncan says last week’s report from Iowa’s Department of Education showing stagnating student achievement needs immediate attention.
Duncan says investment in early childhood education is desperately needed, particularly as Iowa becomes more diverse. He says the state needs to really think through how they get the Hardest working, most committed” teachers and principals into the communities that need the most help. He says technology has to be part of the plan.
Duncan says is we are serious about closing the achievement gap, how we integrate technology into learning 24-seven is important as he says we have been “far too slow to move.” He says other countries are already moving ahead with the use of technology in education.
Duncan says South Korea has said they are going to do away with textbooks by 2015 and all their content will be delivered digitally. “That’s were the world is going,” Duncan said. Duncan also says if Congress doesn’t change what he considers flaws in the federal “No Child Left Behind” law, he’ll grant waivers to states.