Duncan: Congress Needs to Act Now on School Money

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addresses the audience during forum on innovation in education at Aviation High School in Des Moines, Wash., on July 9.

—Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times/AP

By The Associated Press

Des Moines, Wash.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged Congress to act soon to increase education funding because cash-strapped states can't wait until the fall to determine if they must lay off thousands of teachers.

Duncan made his remarks Friday at a forum on innovation in education at Aviation High School in Des Moines, a small college prep school that focuses on science, technology and mathematics.

At the forum, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who joined Duncan, said she hopes fellow lawmakers spent their Fourth of July break hearing from parents and teachers, like she did. Murray said if they got the message about how urgent the school budget crisis is, they will return to Washington, D.C., with the drive to find...