President Clinton has issued an executive order calling on federal education officials to assist states and districts in improving underperforming schools. As part of a two-day tour, the president visited schools across the country to showcase successful education reforms and promote his proposals for increased accountability in school performance. The order instructs the Department of Education to gather data on low-performing schools and provide support and research to states and districts. President Clinton believes that with high standards, accountability, parental involvement, and investments, schools can be turned around and meet the required standards.
During his tour, President Clinton visited a charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota, discussed his school construction proposal in Davenport, Iowa, and advocated for better teacher training in Columbus, Ohio. In Minnesota, he called on the Department of Education to issue guidelines to help businesses, religious groups, and other community members become involved in charter schools. The executive order specifies that the secretary of education should provide technical assistance and research to support improvement efforts, make federal education programs more responsive to low-performing schools, submit an annual report on emerging trends and strategies for turning schools around, and send federal monitors to ensure accountability is being met in up to 15 states each year.
These plans align with Vice President Al Gore’s proposals for aiding failing schools. Gore’s accountability plan suggests allocating $500 million to require states and districts to identify and address failing schools while providing additional resources, like after-school programs, to students in those schools. Republican members of Congress criticized President Clinton’s education tour, viewing it as politically motivated rather than substantive. They argued for prioritizing local funding and focusing on the needs of the nation.
Amy Wilkins, a policy analyst for the Education Trust, expressed skepticism about the impact of President Clinton’s executive order on overall efforts to raise education standards. While she acknowledged its value, she believed it was only a small part of the solution. Wilkins highlighted the administration’s narrow perspective on accountability, focusing primarily on underperforming schools.
On the second day of the tour, President Clinton instructed Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley to issue guidelines on charter schools to encourage religious groups and private employers to contribute to and guide the development of these schools. The role of religious groups in charter schools has raised concerns in some communities and legal disputes. President Clinton emphasized the positive role that faith-based groups can play in nonsectarian charter schools and aimed to increase funding and community involvement in the charter school movement.
Jeanne Allen, the president of the Center for Education Reform, praised President Clinton for raising awareness about charter schools and the need for stronger state laws. However, she questioned the necessity of federal guidelines since charter schools are designed to operate independently.
Your task is to rephrase the entire text using more refined language and ensure its uniqueness while maintaining a natural tone. The revised version should be in English. The original text is as follows: