The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Duncan’s Race to the Bottom

Jun 20, 2011

The Obama administration is done using carrots to get states to gut their public schools. Now it’s using a stick.

Obama’s Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, is using the threats in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to get more states to allow many more charter schools and attack teachers’ unions and job protections.

Up to 80% of the country’s schools are in danger of being labeled “failing” under No Child Left Behind. NCLB requires all schools to achieve 100% proficiency in math and English by 2014, or be closed or taken over–that is, whole public school systems could be dismantled.

Duncan offers another “solution”: his office will grant states waivers on the NCLB demands–IF those states implement the attacks on teachers contained in “Race to the Top.” If they don’t–the deadline stands.

The message to the states is this: don’t worry about NCLB demands–just dismantle your school districts directly!