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By ROBERT TOMSHO and JOHN HECHINGER Critics of the Bush administration's education policies had hoped that putting a Democrat in the White House would mean dramatic changes, including the potential scrapping of the No Child Left Behind law and its reliance on standardized testing, as well as more federal dollars for schools. But with the financial crisis and other priorities bearing down, President-elect Barack Obama's education initiatives -- at least early in his term -- are expected to be more about tinkering than bold change. Although he has said education is an issue close to his heart, in an interview late last month with CNN he listed it as fifth among his priorities, after the economy, energy independence, a health-care overhaul and tax cuts for the middle class. As American students fall behind many of their peers abroad, business leaders and others have said education must be a top priority if the nation is to produce a work force that is more competitive. Mr. Obama "talks about energy independence and green-collar jobs, but we are not going to have people to take all of these green-collar jobs unless we get serious about our schools very quickly," said Amy Wilkins, a vice president of the Education Trust, a Washington group that advocates for low-income children. No Child Left Behind mandates that all children meet proficiency standards on multiple-choice tests by 2014. Schools face increasingly severe penalties if their students don't meet achievement goals. Susan Traiman, director of public policy at the Business Roundtable in Washington, said NCLB has fallen short on ensuring that middle- and high-school graduates master advanced subjects, particularly in math and science. "That's why it's so urgent that we not postpone an education-reform agenda indefinitely," she said. Mr. Obama has called for increased funding for NCLB programs such as teacher training and better testing. He has said he wants to increase spending on early-childhood education by about $10 billion annually and provide a $4,000 annual tax credit to college students who perform 100 hours of community service. With the federal government under pressure to rescue banks, auto makers and homeowners, as well as a federal budget deficit that could double to $1 trillion this fiscal year, many observers question whether Mr. Obama will undertake education measures that require significant spending. Tom Loveless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a think tank, said he expects Mr. Obama to sidestep most major issues involving public schools and instead focus on small, symbolic initiatives in the mold of former President Bill Clinton's promotion of school uniforms as a way to instill discipline in classrooms. Economically, the new president faces a "tough, tough balancing act," said Arne Duncan, chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools and an education adviser to Mr. Obama. Even so, Mr. Duncan said education has been pivotal to Mr. Obama's personal story, and he predicted "a very strong, aggressive and comprehensive strategy" on the issue. "This is something that is hugely important to him," said Mr. Duncan, who has been mentioned as a possible secretary of education in the Obama administration. Incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, speaking on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, said stimulating the economy and getting people back to work will be the new administration's top priority. But he added that the president-elect sees the financial crisis as an opportunity to make changes in energy policy, health care and education. "Those issues that are usually referred to as long-term are immediate," he said. The economic crisis has altered the landscape in which any education-policy shifts by the Obama administration would play out. In recent months, at least 16 states have cut funding to public schools, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan Washington research group. Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he was cutting $566 million over the next two years and cutting 475 administrative jobs from the city's Department of Education. "School boards around the country are going to be in real trouble over the next year or two," said Andrew Reschovsky, a University of Wisconsin economist, who added that some states may be forced to seek additional federal funds to help their school districts maintain programs. Fearful of cuts that could affect schools and students for years to come, some education groups have called for the new president to make economic recovery his first priority. The American Federation of Teachers is lobbying for an economic stimulus package that includes expanded unemployment benefits, fiscal relief for states and public-works projects. "We have to focus on the economy first," said Randi Weingarten, the union's president. Meanwhile the fate of NCLB -- widely viewed as the Bush administration's signature domestic achievement -- is uncertain. Mr. Obama has signaled that he doesn't plan to jettison the law. But other than bolstering funds for teacher pay and measuring students through means other than standardized testing, he has offered few details about his reform plans. Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City schools, expressed skepticism about using alternative testing. "If you water down accountability, if success or failure depends on the eye of the beholder, you run the risk of letting down kids," he said. Some observers say that, rather than taking the lead in what could be a contentious reauthorization battle, the new president may wait for the new Congress to hash out a consensus on what changes need to be made. "I think it's going to take months to figure that all out," said Jack Jennings, director of the Center on Education Policy, a nonpartisan research group. |
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