Obama backs teacher merit pay, charter schoolsWASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama called for tying teachers' pay to students' performance and expanding innovative charter schools Tuesday, embracing ideas that have provoked hostility from members of teachers unions. He also suggested longer school days - and years - to help America's kids compete in the world.Good for Obama.
In his first big speech on education, Obama said the United States must drastically improve student achievement to regain lost international standing.
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His solutions include teacher pay and charter school proposals that have met resistance among members of teachers unions, which constitute an important segment of the Democratic Party.
The status quo is no good. Throwing more money at school systems that don't work doesn't mean that they will suddenly work. Look at Washington D.C.'s public schools and you'll see some of the most money per kid being spent with little to show for it.
And the teachers are part of the problem. And, yes, their unions too. We have to improve school budgets and school management. But that won't to any good if we don't improve the teachers.
Here are some great presentations that you have to watch.
- rob 5:38 PM - [PermaLink] -
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