By Kathy Amoroso
January 31, 2011

"It's no secret that I am a big believer in giving mayors a leading role in school reform," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in his remarks to the Jobs, Education and the Workforce Standing Committee on January 19. Led by St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, Chair of the Committee, the meeting provided an opportunity for mayors from across the country to dialogue with the Secretary about the direction of the Department's education reform efforts, and also ways in which mayors can engage in education to support their districts, schools, principals, teachers and students.

"I recognize that mayors are often in a tough spot when it comes to their local school systems," Duncan said. "Typically, you don't have control over city schools. That tough spot is about to get tougher. The federal government provides only about eight percent of all K-12 revenues. By contrast, states provide close to half of all public school revenues. With few exceptions, state budgets have yet to recover from the Great Recession.

Local funding accounts for about 44 percent of K-12 revenues nationwide, most of which comes from local property taxes. Lower property valuations, caused by the housing crash, are likely to persist for the next two to three years — and possibly longer. The looming end of stimulus money provides a financial double-whammy.

But my take-away message today is that the challenge of fiscal austerity, this New Normal, can and should be embraced as an opportunity to make dramatic improvements. Big opportunities for improving the productivity of the education system still lie ahead if political leaders and educators are smart, innovative, and courageous in rethinking the status quo.

I hope mayors are at the table during those tough discussions with unions, school board members, and district administrators. These issues are state and local decisions. But I am enormously encouraged by the breakthrough contracts that we've seen in cities like Denver, New Haven, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Washington (DC), where unions are working collaboratively with school boards and mayors to reform outdated evaluation and compensation systems," he said.

According to Duncan, mayors are not at the table during those discussions nearly as often as they should be. He advocates expanding mayoral control of the schools to more cities, especially in big-city districts with a history of revolving-door superintendent and ineffective school board leadership.

"I recognize that statutory restrictions prevent most mayors from taking control of the school system. But despite those limitations, the fate of schools and school performance is inevitably a core part of a mayor's mission," he said.

Even in an era of tight budgets, the Department remains committed to continued funding for early childhood, after'school, and a variety of community-based wraparound services with great schools at their core, such as Promise Neighborhoods.

The Administration currently provides almost $1.2 billion a year for afterschool, before school, and summer programming through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. It has made early learning a top priority, with an unprecedented proposal to invest in and improve the quality of early learning programs, beginning at birth and continuing through third grade. And it will continue to pursue significant increases in spending for Promise Neighborhoods beyond the $10 million allotted in fiscal year 2010.

"In several respects, I think the role of mayors is going to be elevated in federal policy in the coming year," Duncan continued. "For the first time, we have provided $4 billion to turn around the nation's lowest-performing schools. Those school turnarounds are absolutely vital to revitalizing struggling urban communities. They need and deserve the attention of the mayor--and the support of city resources.

Finally, just as governors helped lead their states in the Race to the Top (RTT) competition, we anticipate that mayors will be helping lead their districts in a new district-level RTT competition.

Last year, we requested $1.35 billion for a new RTT competition and proposed expanding the competition to districts. We remain committed to a district-level RTT competition in the upcoming budget. Like the previous rounds of Race to the Top, the RTT District Competition would incentivize and reward districts for comprehensive reform and innovation, but concentrate on reforms best executed at the local level.

In closing, Duncan asked mayors to add their voice to the debate about reauthorizing ESEA during the upcoming year. "ESEA needs to be reauthorized to make the law fair, focused, and flexible. We want to be tight on setting a high bar for success but loose on the means of how states and districts get there. Mayors have a big stake in reauthorizing ESEA. But you also have a big opportunity to help advance reform--and prepare our children and our cities for the knowledge economy of the 21st century," he said.

Department of Labor Assistant Secretary Jane Oates also addressed the mayors. Stressing the partnership between the Departments of Education and Labor, Oates outlined the joint announcement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Secretary of Education Duncan of a solicitation for grant applications for up to $500 million in grant funds to be awarded under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grants program (TAACCCT). These funds are available to eligible institutions of higher education to serve workers who are eligible for training under the TAA for workers program in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

"In so many ways, when we passed the Workforce Investment Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and Perkins, we told you to work together," she said. "We're putting our money where our mouths are," she said. "Everything we do, we do together."

Oates also described reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) as "in the end zone." "The Senate has produced a bi-partisan bill with Senators Harkin, Enzi, Murray and Isaacson. The House will be hungry soon, and I think we'll finally get it done this Congress," she said.

Finally, the Assistant Secretary told mayors that TANF subsidy funding was still on the table for use to support Summer Jobs — in addition to the 15 percent in WIA state funding that governors have been slow to spend.