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'A' on Vision, 'F' on Specifics
March 10, 2009 10:55 AM
ABC News' Yunji de Nies and Sunlen Miller report:
On this 50th day in office, President Obama made broad calls for improvements in education, but did not call for any specific legislative changes. His first presidential speech focused solely on education was long on rhetoric, but short on specifics on how he plans to shepherd reform.
The president did not propose any changes to the No Child Left Behind, a signature of the Bush administration, but rather said that the policy should be fully funded to "live up to it's name," a constant campaign trail refrain.
The president called for higher standards across the board –- for teachers, schools, and students -- but did not call for changes at the federal level, instead, pushing states to voluntarily standardize reforms.
"Today’s system of fifty different sets of benchmarks for academic success means 4th grade readers in Mississippi are scoring nearly 70 points lower than students in Wyoming, and getting the same grade," he said. "That is inexcusable, and that is why I am calling on states that are setting their standards far below where they ought to be to stop low-balling expectations for our kids."
The president said that children should spend more time in the classroom, adding that South Korean students spend more than a month longer in schools than those in the U.S. He joked that while longer school days may not be popular, especially with his own elementary school aged daughters, he said the extra time is needed to keep Americans competitive.
In addition to raising expectations for students, the president also said he expects more from the nation's teachers. Bad teachers should be fired, and good ones should be rewarded with more money, the president explained, though he did not provide specifics on how or who would make such determinations.
As he did in his address to Congress, the president laid out his goal of making America the country with the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. He said he will do that in part by refocusing student aid programs, including increasing Pell grants with inflation each year, and simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The president called for the lifting of caps on the number of allowable charter schools, wherever such caps are in place.
“That isn’t good for our children, our economy, or our country,” Obama said of some state’s caps.
“Of course, any expansion of charter schools must not result in the spread of mediocrity, but in the advancement of excellence. That will require states adopting both a rigorous selection and review process to ensure that a charter school’s autonomy is coupled with greater accountability –- as well as a strategy.”
The president concluded by speaking to the importance of personal responsibility. He called on students to stay in school, and on parents and teachers to provide the support they need to do that.
"I truly believe that if I do my part and you, the American people, do yours, then we will emerge from this crisis a stronger nation and pass the dream of our founding on to posterity, ever safer than before," he said.
-- Yunji de Nies and Sunlen Miller
UPDATE: The White House says a detailed budget will be released in April and included in that will be details on where the money would go to fund the president's specific policy goals.
They also pointed us to part of the president's speech today that they feel were specific -- When President Obama spoke about early childhood programs, they said specifically he called for head start investments and nurse partnership. On states raising standards, he called for a data system to help teachers prepare students to meet those standards, in addition to rewarding good teachers. The call for more innovation in schools was met with a call to end of capping of charter schools in some states. Calling to open the doors of college, Obama specifically proposed reform of Pell and Perkins student loans.
In addition, the White House says that even though the president is not laying out a blueprint for No Child Left Behind, this is enumerated and will be affected by his call to states to increase their standards and assessments.
March 10, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (87)
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I think as long as the education is system based and not child based, we will never have an education system that works. Its about the tests and the money. Lots of money. Do we ask the question, what does this child need to learn? The answer is different for each child. We are trying to have a one size fits all education system and it is not working.
Posted by: LB | Mar 12, 2009 9:09:57 PM
Why did Obama do his hollow teleprompter spiel on education in front of a questionable ethnic special interest group rather than a group of Americans of all ethnicities? What next? A spiel on illegal alien amnesty in front of the Tan Klan?
This bozo IS an empty suit, and a dangerous one at that. And you thought Bush was bad, eh?
Posted by: Palos Verdes Jay | Mar 11, 2009 10:40:28 AM
stop blaming the teachers for kids not learning start blaming some of the parents and the kids who dont care ,,,, shocking but true there are lots of bad parents who have rasied bad kids..that go to school because of the law they have to go to school. well when bad kids go to school not caring to learn they make it hard for those that are there to learn . yes there are so bad teachers also that should never teach .
for those who say teachers don't earn their pay need to go sub for a few months and see what really goes on inside the class room before opening your mouth about thier pay.they talked about getting rid of the bad teachers how about getting rid of the bad parents and students first.
Posted by: michelle white | Mar 11, 2009 8:16:49 AM
oh and i give Obama an F...
hiring a tax cheat, Giethner (way to boost the econmy)
Obammy is in way over his head. he needs his nap, he is exhausted. oh he did say that he has to much to worry about than focus on the economy. yes the stock market hates your socialsim agenda ("never let a good crisis go 'waste" Alinsky 'rules for radicals')
dissing britian (in case you haven't heard, it was the DISS heard around the world.) N.Korea ready to attack if provoked, China testing Obammy's navy (testing to see if he is made of steel or jello-my vote on Jello). and what's this plan?reaching out to Talibans, please explain to me why this is important? i give him a big fat F!
Posted by: jaj | Mar 10, 2009 10:36:37 PM
oh and i give Obama an F. why do i have to pay for other countries to provide abortion? why do i have to pay for embroynic stem cell research-let the private sector pay for it. i don;t agree with the gitmo closing-not without a clear plan, i believe this wil lbackfire when the closing date approaches. i don;t agree that we should reach out to the talibans,does that mean the WH wants the women to wear burkas and submit to men? i don;t agree with global warming. i think this is hoax to control us. we can go green responsbililty but not thru the progranda teaching of al gore.
Posted by: PA | Mar 10, 2009 10:25:52 PM
can't Obama just focus on the economy?
and i really don;t want a liberal teaching my kids that it is ok to defy authority and sue anyone who hurts thier feelings. i want my kids to learn to be proud of their country, understand the true meaning of america-not liberal america, but america america.
Posted by: PA | Mar 10, 2009 10:21:58 PM
We congratulate the President for taking up the issue of education within the first fifty days of assuming office.Forget the pessimists who have no faith in anything,Obama has initiated discussions on one of the difficult problems.Reforming education is not easy but it must be done for the future as the nation's competitiveness solely depends on the schools.
Posted by: Shashi Panikar | Mar 10, 2009 10:01:29 PM
Messing with "No Child Left Behind" will require political kid gloves. Ted Kennedy is very proud of this legislation and is in his final days, short of a miracle.
Posted by: mad | Mar 10, 2009 7:41:27 PM
drjohn - What you posted does not change the fact that wealthier districts have more funds if the large chunk of the revenue for education comes from property taxes. Most states do use property taxes to cover the cost of eduction.. Cost per pupil per school district varies widely from state to state for many reasons and what is actually included in that cost per pupil also varies.
Money for each school district is dependent on numerous factors - e.g. if the state has gambling and if those revenues are put towards education, if you have re-distribution of education dollars from wealthier districts to poorer districts like w/Robin Hood in Texas, etc.
If only it were that black and white.
Posted by: Ranger | Mar 10, 2009 6:27:28 PM
This president is listening to our students and to our needs. We are on the verge of laying off hundreds of teachers and you are criticizing the person who is trying to help. His budget is not even out and there are those of you who can't and won't listen to him. I echo the saying the students at our Village Academy stated...."Is Anyone Listening"
Give him a chance and make some effort to get this country on the right path.
Posted by: Wake up! | Mar 10, 2009 6:20:26 PM
BJ
BO has so much faith in both chicago and washington's public schools that he sends both his children to $18k per yer private schools, but yet opposed school vouchers. What a hypocrite.
People need to quit looking to the gov't for solutions and realize that most often the problems are gov't enduced.
The teacher's unions and liberal lawyers have made good teachers powerless as disciplinarians and bad teachers totally secure in their jobs.
Posted by: BO stinks | Mar 10, 2009 6:06:55 PM
Obama has the gall to call out the state of Mississippi. Both of my children graduated from PUBLIC schools in Mississippi - BOTH went to PUBLIC colleges in Mississippi and one is an Accountant and the other received a Masters in Engineering. BOTH scored ABOVE (YES, ABOVE 30) on the ACT. This ALL has to do with our TEACHERS. HOLD THE TEACHERS accountable. FIRE THE BAD TEACHERS! GET RID OF THE UNIONS! I bet he won't call out the Unions on this one.
Posted by: Betty M | Mar 10, 2009 5:55:00 PM
Too many angry Republicans.
They make themselves known just by trying to put other people down and then use the name of GOD. A bunch of hypocrites.
Do yourselves and your nerves a favor. Stop watching FOX News. Get attached to hope and leave hate aside.
In a real democracy, everybody should want their President to succeed, then all succeed.
Posted by: Jim | Mar 10, 2009 5:49:21 PM
At least we are talking about education.
How refreshing after 8 years in the wilderness.
My 2 daughters are just thrilled about the focus on Education in OBAMA's administration.
Leave politics aside and rejoice for your kids.
President OBAMA is for them the Education President!!!
Posted by: BJ | Mar 10, 2009 5:43:52 PM
BO is a socialist who is wrecking this economy on purpose with his doomsday scenarios and policies. He wants to destroys capitalism and the free market so that it can be rebuilt under his marxist vision. It really is that simple.
Posted by: BO stinks | Mar 10, 2009 5:39:59 PM
Speaking as a parent who does not see the school system as someone to babysit my kids so I don't have to tend to them, they already spend plenty of time in school. Between the hours they spend there and the hours of homework they drag home every day to do, we barely get to speak to each other.
I personally do not care how long children in South Korea go to school. Oh yes, now there's a world power.
Posted by: Melanie | Mar 10, 2009 5:11:32 PM
Washington DC has a voucher program enabling some inner city kids to get a decent education. Parents are begging to keep it. Democrats are trying to kill it because it shows that vouchers can work.
That's how much they care.
Posted by: drjohn | Mar 10, 2009 5:01:54 PM
Ranger
Google "School District Spending"
Click on eiaonline
Pick a state
Pick a couple of cities
See who spends the most on each student. In CT
Hartford : $15,000
Region 15 : $11,600
Want to guess who has by far the better outcome?
Posted by: drjohn | Mar 10, 2009 4:27:10 PM
Mr. Obama IS the right man in the right place at the right time. He carries the intellectual curiosity required to look deeply into the many issues facing this country and understand them both incrementally as well as how they influence each other.
He also has more on his plate than any new President in modern history.
He IS correct in working the economic crises on multiple front concurrently, given that our economy's elements are not mutually exclusively but mutually interdependent.
That said, he also carries the responsibility to direct - redirect our country in many other areas with education reform right behind health care reform. So i agree with his vision, sequencing etc.
I would caution Mr. Obama not to get too far away from the details of this economic crises while it is still so fluid.
Dig into the management levels of the policy's with respect to the economy's needs. It is ONLY then we can assure the policy outlines and program requirements are/will be met.
Yes Sir, you are correct, Education desperately needs revision, just get the economy hitting on several cylinders before you pivot your resources.
Posted by: Darryl the Contractor | Mar 10, 2009 4:22:06 PM
Here's an example of what I was talking about:
"Octo Mom Nadya Suleman has accepted an offer from Angels in Waiting to help raise her 14 children, she announced in a taping of Dr. Phil that will air tomorrow and Wednesday."
This jerk should have those kids taken away from her. Instead, Dr. Phil is going to idolize her.
We can expect more 14-child moms in the future because we reward this selfish stupidity.
Posted by: drjohn | Mar 10, 2009 4:17:45 PM
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