Update on State of Schooling Shared at Horace Mann League Luncheon

By Alexander MacLean

The Horace Mann League, a leading promoter of public education, held its 88th annual luncheon meeting on Friday at the Sheraton Hotel in Phoenix to honor top educators, elect new members and discuss issues facing the nation's public education system.

Gary Marx, president of the Center for Public Outreach in Vienna, Va., addressed issues and possible legislation that could affect the future of public education. He was the stand-in for the scheduled luncheon presenter, Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommon professor of education at Stanford University, who was unable to attend.

Marx, former communications director of AASA, cited a proposed change in the No Child Left Behind Act that would see a shift away from adequate yearly progress measurements through standardized testing and the introduction of new measurements based on college and career readiness.

"AYP may be O-U-T," he said. "But the jury is still out on how we would make these new measurements."

Marx said more school districts are feeling the effects of the poor economy and many administrators may feel like they are "jumping off a financial cliff" once federal stimulus funds run out. However, President Obama's federal budget proposal could see an increase of $3.5 billion going to K-12 schools with most of it reserved for competitive grants, he said.

Marx also warned that an increasingly politically polarized nation could lead to a lack of discussion, debate and new ideas regarding public education.

The event concluded with the Horace Mann League installing its new officers and distributing the league’s annual awards.