Who's News
August 30, 2005
Meet the Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings talks about the nation's goals for schools
 Secretary Spellings and Kid Reporter India Pasiuk |
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings sat down to discuss her favorite subject, school, with TFK Kid Reporter India Pasiuk. Secretary Spellings has been on the job for six months. She is the first Secretary of Education to have school-age children.
 |  Kid Reporter India gets the scoop on schools from the Secretary of Education. |
Spellings: That’s an issue really not for the federal government to decide, but for states and local school districts to decide. But, as a parent, I have to say that what I know is, most of the countries in the rest of the world go to school a lot more days than we do. Some of the countries that are getting the best results for kids are working harder at it. In some cases, we’re going to have to work harder to get results.
TFK: Do you think standardized testing is necessary?
Spellings: I absolutely do. I know sometimes kids don’t like to take tests, but it’s one of the things, just like going to the doctor. You have to have your temperature taken. They can’t fix what’s wrong with you if they don’t know what made you sick, or what you need. And, so that’s true in education too. It’s important that we find out how kids are doing and what they’re doing well on and where they need help and the way that we do that is through testing. No Child Left Behind, the law that I implement, uses standardized tests to find out how kids are doing.
TFK: Connecticut recently filed suit regarding the No Child Left Behind Act. What is the government doing in response?
Spellings: What Connecticut basically is saying is that No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate. That means we’ve asked them to do something and we haven’t sent them enough money. What our side of the story is that No Child Left Behind is an agreement between states and the federal government that says if you take federal tax dollars on behalf of minority kids and special education kids, you ought to show some results in return. If you don’t want to do that, you don’t have to take the federal money.
The second thing we’re going to say in our side of the lawsuit is that lots of studies.... have said that the requirements of No Child Left Behind, like annual testing, are adequately funded. We’ve made big increases in education funding since the president has been in office. We’re proud of that!
TFK: Some teachers feel that No Child Left Behind forces teachers them to focus too much on reading and math. What is your take on that?
Spellings: You can’t really learn history or social studies or much of anything else if you don’t know how to read. That’s the important thing that we have to do as a country and we have a long way to go.
TFK: Why have some schools lost music and arts programs? What advice could you give the students at those schools?
Spellings: What I am hearing around the country, as I talk to educators, is they’re starting to recognize again, that a well rounded curriculum, that includes art and music and other things, really help get academic results. When I was in school, back in the Dark Ages, we did reading, math, music, art. It’s not an either or thing. Smart educators know that you can do all those things and teach kids to read. That’s what we should be doing.
TFK: What advice would you give kids who want to help make changes in their school’s programs or procedures?
Spellings: First, I would tell them to talk to their teacher or principal about what they saw or observed. If you wanted to have an orchestra program, or Spanish, or take recess away so you could learn more... then I would tell you to go to your principal and see if you could get some support there. Then I would go to the PTA or Parent Organization that’s at your school to see if you could get support. Then you work your way to the school superintendent and the school board. I think that would be an interesting lesson in democracy and government to try to make a change in schools.
TFK: How does your job help me as a student?
Spellings: I have a big microphone as the Secretary of Education. I talk to a lot of people about what kids need, what’s important, and how important education is, it’s important that we support education, and invest in education, all of those things. I’m the first mother of school children to have this job, if you can believe that. So I am living it every day, like your own mother is.
TFK: What was your favorite book as a kid?
Spellings: I loved Charlotte's Web!
TFK: How have your daughters helped you in your job? What can kids teach adults about improving our education system?
Spellings: That’s a great question. I’ve never been asked that question. I see my own kids... they’re like a little focus group about what we need in education, what we can do better, and what we’re doing well. I think we really do have work to do in middle school. I think it can be more rigorous.
TFK: What is your younger daughter reading these days?
Spellings: She just, of course, like everybody finished Harry Potter. She’s now reading Pride and Prejudice, which she's got to do a book report on before school starts.
TFK: What is her favorite Harry Potter book?
Spellings: She loved the second one.
TFK: How can our schools improve?
Spellings: I think that what can be done to improve is a hopeful attitude and working hard with every single child. Don’t give up on anybody.
