Arlington, VA — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan spent an unprecedented hour responding to questions from state board of education members on issues ranging from waivers and sequestration to the Department’s use of competitive grants. The discussion took place last Friday, March 15 as part of NASBE’s Annual Legislative Policy Forum. Presiding with Duncan were NASBE President Patrick A. Guida (RI) and Elaine Gantz Berman (CO), chair of NASBE’s Governmental Affairs Committee.

During the meeting, held at the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Duncan urged state board members to make their collective voice heard in fighting the $1.3 billion in funding cuts to Title I and special education budgets that resulted from the recent sequestration. In his opening remarks, he also noted that if the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is indeed reauthorized this year, drawing on the best policies and practices now being implemented in the states would make for a “great” bill.

In addition, Duncan lauded states’ work in implementing the Common Core, but also urged board members to do more to support educators during the transition as they adapt to the changes. During a lengthy and free-flowing Q & A session, the Secretary assured attendees that the Department’s support for the major assessment consortia – PARCC and Smarter Balanced – will not fade. “We’re in for the long haul,” he said.

In answer to a question about the chances for ESEA reauthorization, Duncan admitted he was not optimistic, but said he and his staff continued to work closely with Senators Tom Harkin (IA) and Lamar Alexander (TN) on development of a bipartisan bill. Again, he said it was critical for members of Congress to hear from state board members on the importance of reauthorization.

As far as providing additional flexibility within federal funding, Secretary Duncan repeatedly said he was committed to “setting the bar high” while giving states and districts significant leeway in figuring out the best ways to reach the goals. But one exception to his own rule, he said, was in defining the parameters for turning around the poorest-performing schools. “Too often in the past, states checked ‘other’ when it came to choosing their primary strategy for turnaround. But kids in these schools can’t wait for ‘other’ to happen,” he said, which too frequently meant little actually changed.

The Secretary was joined by the assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development, Carmel Martin, who advised board members that the Department will soon challenge them to implement accountability systems for teacher preparation programs linked to outcomes.