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Warning against a “halt” to “progress,” Duncan sent letter Monday

In a two-page letter sent to the Citizens Union Monday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan offered a stern warning that placing restrictions on mayoral control could “turn back the clock and halt progress” and have “profoundly negative consequences for New York City’s students.”

We reported yesterday that Duncan had sent such a letter, but at the time U.S. Department of Education officials wouldn’t confirm that the letter existed. That changed a few minutes ago when an official e-mailed it over.

The full text of the letter is after the jump.

5 Comments

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  1. I am disappointed at the Citizens’ Union … rather than reaching out to their readers and/or contributors they seem to havr succumbed to pressure frm Arne … the only way I can punish them is to cease my contribution … which I encourage others to do …

  2. Michael M.

    Wowzers — a good government group that responds to pressure from those IN government who want to further consolidate their grip on power?

    “[Guess Who] acknowledges that there were votes of conscience today, on both sides of the issue, but there were also convoluted and changing votes of political expediency, which reflects poorly on those whose votes changed or resulted in them being on both sides of the issue.”

    http(colon)//www(dot)citizensunion(dot)org/www/cu/site/hosting/Statements/TermLimits1023.html

    Irony ain’t dead yet folks.

  3. Emily

    I am so dissapointed in Arne Duncan. I think he’s almost forgotten we live in a democracy. The point of our government is that there are checks and balances, so why should education be lead by a dictator? In Duncan’s third paragraph he says straight out the problem with fixed term limits for those on the PEP is that there might be a disagreement with the mayor. How can he not see there’s something wrong with saying that the point of the PEP is only to agree with exactly what the mayor says? How can he think that’s okay?

  4. Insider Knowledge

    A Mayor who thwarts the will of the people and a federal agency mandating education policy which is a clear violation of the constitution. Thomas Jefferson is rolling in his grave.

  5. [...] now the Arne Duncan is threatening anyone who opposes mayoral control. The warning letter is here. Careful. It could go in your permanent [...]

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