Duncan Says Education System "Falling Short" For Students Of Color

Duncan Says Education System "Falling Short" For Students Of Color.

The Los Angeles Sentinel (3/20, Curry) reports that Education Secretary Arne Duncan, speaking in a private meeting with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, said that "instead of being the traditional ticket to success, many of our nation's troubled schools hinder opportunity for upward mobility, especially for students of color." The piece quotes Duncan saying, "The hard truth, the brutal truth, is that in too many places, our education system is falling short of being the engine of mobility, the prized pathway to the middle class. Instead, tragically, these schools often perpetuate inequality and restrict opportunity." Noting that Duncan "described what he calls the paradox of progress," the piece quotes him saying, "The good news is that after the Brown decision, school segregation declined dramatically in the South. The bad news is that our schools today are as segregated as they have been at any time since the death of Dr. King. The good news is that many more Black students today are graduating from high school and enrolling in college than ever before. The bad news is that Black students are still less likely than their peers to receive equal access to top-notch teachers and the college-prep classes they need to succeed in today's globally competitive economy." Duncan is also quoted discussing college attendance and completion among black students, the achievement gap, and violence in schools.