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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Pierluisi Follows Up With U.S. Secretary of Education Following His Visit to Puerto Rico

Reviews points from their discussion last week on ways the federal government can help improve Puerto Rico’s educational system

Washington, DC—Following talks he held with the U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, during Duncan’s visit to Puerto Rico last week, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi sent Secretary Duncan a letter today seeking the U.S. Department of Education’s assistance to reform the Island’s educational system.

Pierluisi highlighted five areas where the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) can help the Island immediately: (1) by granting a waiver of certain provisions of the federal “No Child Left Behind” Act (NCLB); (2) by granting Puerto Rico flexibility in the use of federal funds to implement teacher exchanges; (3) by providing technical assistance to the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) to support PRDE’s work to revise its curricula and teacher professional development; (4) by providing technical assistance to PRDE in its development of a plan to use funds available under Title III of NCLB to address the needs of students with limited English proficiency; and (5) by identifying federal funds for the “TUS VALORES CUENTAN program (“Your Values ​Count,” in English).

“Although significant progress has been made over the past three years, more reforms must be made so that every child on the Island can receive a world-class education. I want to take this opportunity to highlight five areas where I believe the U.S. Department of Education can play a particularly constructive role in helping the Puerto Rico government move forward with its reform efforts,” the Resident Commissioner wrote in his letter to Secretary Duncan.

Pierluisi explained that PRDE expressed its intent earlier this month to seek a waiver of certain provisions of NCLB, so that it can continue to reform the Island’s educational system. A waiver has also been requested by 41 other jurisdictions.

With respect to the request for flexibility in the use of funds available under Title II of NCLB, the Resident Commissioner said the proposal is consistent with the legislation he presented in Congress that would promote teacher exchanges between school districts in different regions of the United States.

“Governor Fortuño and I have made it our priority to improve the quality of education provided to children in the Island’s public schools, including the quality of English language instruction. Often, a lack of well-prepared English teachers prevents students from gaining proficiency in English, which closes the door on countless academic and professional opportunities that would otherwise be available to these students,” Pierluisi wrote.

The Resident Commissioner’s initiative offers participating teachers the opportunity to learn new instructional techniques, to gain exposure to different learning cultures and student populations, and to impart the learning they acquire during the exchange onto other teachers in their home districts once they return.

Pierluisi also requested that USDE connect PRDE with technical assistance centers that can help PRDE in several areas, including with PRDE’s efforts to revise the curricula used in the Island’s schools. “To be prepared to compete in the 21st century global economy, students must have access to a challenging curriculum,” said the Resident Commissioner.

An additional area where Pierluisi requested USDE’s support is with teacher professional development. Pierluisi asked the USDE to connect PRDE with technical assistance centers that could help PRDE redesign the types and forms of professional learning opportunities available to teachers. PRDE is seeking to give teachers more time and support to engage in ongoing collaborative learning sessions in which teachers have the chance to examine student data, discuss instructional practices, and determine next steps to meet the learning needs of every child.

In addition, the Resident Commissioner requested USDE’s assistance with the development of a plan to use Title III funds to address the needs of students with limited English proficiency. NCLB allows, but does not require, PRDE to use Title III money to meet the needs of students with limited Spanish proficiency. However, only a small number of students—less than 2,000 out of a universe of approximately 500,000—are designated as limited Spanish proficient.

Finally, Pierluisi reminded Secretary Duncan of Governor Fortuño’s request that Duncan help to identify federal funds that may be used to support the development of extracurricular activities, in order to reduce dropout rates. Fortuño had also requested funds to support the “TUS VALORES CUENTAN” program, which is designed to create a school environment conducive to academic success and personal development.