Report: Education secretary wants longer school year

This from Newsday:

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has an idea that won't make him too popular on America's schoolyards.

The man in charge of overhauling the American educational system is looking into programs that will lengthen the school year to boost academic achievement, according to a report on CNN.com.

Duncan maintains that American students are "at a competitive disadvantage" because of the United States' shorter school year compared to those in foreign countries such as India and China. More time in school is one of several ideas under consideration during Duncan's term, according to the report."Our children are not competing for jobs down the block or in the district or in the state -- they're competing against children in India or China, and they need to know how they stack up," Duncan said in the report...