Dive Brief:
- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is trying to show educators he trusts them and cares about them via an Aug. 8 blog post entitled, “My Top Advisers: Principals and Teachers.”
- The post discusses the importance of strong principals leading schools and helping to smoothly transition into education policies and practices pushed by the Obama administration, such as the Common Core.
- Duncan has often butted heads with educators and unions during his time heading the department, a detail that became very clear when the Nation Education Association called for his resignation last month.
Dive Insight:
The Washington Post's Valerie Strauss, who re-posted blog on her column, the Answer Sheet, is quick to point out that, "A problem for Duncan is that many teachers and principals don’t think the answer lies with his reform policies or his embrace of alternative teaching programs such as Teach For America and TNTP." Duncan's attempt to praise the hard work of teachers and principals is overshadowed by his emphasis on his policies and how they are bringing them to life. By failing to mention teachers and principals outside of his education agenda, Duncan misses an opportunity to truly make these educators feel valued.