Obama to deliver major education reform address

[jefferson_dem]

Obama to deliver major education reform address
By the CNN Wire Staff
July 29, 2010 7:17 a.m. EDT

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will deliver a major education reform speech at the National Urban League's 100th Anniversary Convention in Washington Thursday morning.

The president will discuss how his signature Race to the Top program and other initiatives are driving education reform across the country and focusing the nation on the goal of preparing students for college and careers, a statement from White House said.

"Now, I know some argue that during a recession, we should focus solely on economic issues," Obama says in prepared remarks released by the White House ahead of the address. "But education is an economic issue -- if not the economic issue of our time."

The Obama education plan champions better teacher pay, but also asks for tangible results.

"I want teachers to have higher salaries. I want them to have more support. I want them to be trained like the professionals they are -- with rigorous residencies like the ones doctors go through," Obama says. "All I'm asking in return -- as a president, and as a parent -- is a measure of accountability.

"Surely we can agree that even as we applaud teachers for their hard work, we need to make sure they're delivering results in the classroom. If they're not, let's work with them to help them be more effective. And if that fails, let's find the right teacher for that classroom."

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/29/education.speech/?hpt=T2