Obama's latest speech on Race To the Top education reform (video)

November 6, 2:17 PMEducation Headlines ExaminerAndrea Hermitt

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Realizing that a lot of people don't believe in Obama's stance on education or the Race to the top, nonetheless this is the direction in which we are going.  Here is the video of his most recent speech and a few points.

Improving our schools is America's national mission.  The race to the top challenges will award states to adhere to key measures of reform.  These measures are:

• Is the state committed to setting higher standards and better assessments to prepare children to succeed in the 21st century.  The competitive standards should be international. States should align their assessments with high standards so kids can meet those high standards.  This is not about more tests, but about smarter assessments.
• Have the states committed to putting effective teachers in the classroom and effective principals at the head of the schools. Bad teachers must be removed from the classroom, provided they have been given the opportunity to improve.  New teachers should have mentors.  Good teachers need incentives to stay in struggling schools and neighborhoods.
• States must track progress of students and teachers to make sure every student graduates ready for a college and career.  This means States must eliminate laws that prevent accountability. They must remove firewall laws that makes measuring accountability difficult. States must track students and teachers to make sure children graduate ready for college.
• A state must focus on transforming the lowest performing schools in addition to all others.  Will they be willing to remake a school from top to bottom with new leaders and a new way of teaching. 
  
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