US Education Secretary Duncan visits Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says 60 years after segregation was outlawed in public schools, civil rights still remains a critical issue in education.
Duncan referenced the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision during a speech Tuesday to a group of education writers at Vanderbilt University, one of three stops he made in Nashville.
Saying there’s still work to do, Duncan noted the achievement gaps between affluent and poor students, and what he called so-called opportunity gaps in that “all families” don’t have access to high-quality early-learning initiatives.
Duncan also said states need to continue education reforms, like implementation of higher education standards such as Common Core. He once again lauded Tennessee as a state that’s been courageous in its reforms, despite pushback.
