Obama presses for longer school years

[rko2004]

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer Erica Werner, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 55 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Barely into the new school year, President Barack Obama issued a tough-love message to students and teachers on Monday: Their year in the classroom should be longer, and poorly performing teachers should get out.

American students are falling behind their foreign counterparts, especially in math and science, and that's got to change, Obama said. Seeking to revive a sense of urgency that education reform may have lost amid the recession's focus on the economy, Obama declared that the future of the country is at stake.

"Whether jobs are created here, high-end jobs that support families and support the future of the American people, is going to depend on whether or not we can do something about these schools," the president said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

U.S. schools through high school offer an average of 180 instruction days per year, according to the Education Commission of the States, compared to an average of 197 days for lower grades and 196 days for upper grades in countries with the best student achievement levels, including Japan, South Korea, Germany and New Zealand.

"That month makes a difference," the president said. "It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer. It's especially severe for poorer kids who may not see as many books in the house during the summers, aren't getting as many educational opportunities."

Obama said teachers and their profession should be more highly honored — as in China and some other countries, he said — and he said he wanted to work with the teachers' unions. But he also said that unions should not defend a status quo in which one-third of children are dropping out. He challenged them not to be resistant to change.

And the president endorsed the firing of teachers who, once given the chance and the help to improve, are still falling short.

"We have got to identify teachers who are doing well. Teachers who are not doing well, we have got to give them the support and the training to do well. And if some teachers aren't doing a good job, they've got to go," Obama said.

They're goals the president has articulated in the past, but his ability to see them realized is limited. States set the minimum length of school years, and although there's experimentation in some places, there's not been wholesale change since Obama issued the same challenge for more classroom time at the start of the past school year.

One issue is money, and although the president said that lengthening school years would be "money well spent," that doesn't mean cash-strapped states and districts can afford it.

"It comes down to the old bugaboo, resources. It costs money to keep kids in school," said Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, Ariz. "Everyone believes we can achieve greater things if we have a longer school year. The question is how do you pay for it."

One model is Massachusetts, where the state issues grants to districts that set out clear plans on how they would use the money to constructively lengthen instructional class time, said Kathy Christie, chief of staff at the Education Commission of the States. Obama's Education Department already is using competitions among states for curriculum grant money through its "Race to the Top" initiative.

"The federal carrots of additional money would help more states do it or schools do it in states where they don't have a state grant process," Christie said.

But the federal budget is hard-up, too. And while many educators believe students would benefit from more quality learning time, the idea is not universally popular.

In Kansas, sporadic efforts by local districts to extend the school year at even a few schools have been met by parental resistance, said state education commissioner Diane DeBacker.

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Teachers' unions say they're open to the discussion of longer classroom time, but they also say that pay needs to be part of the conversation. As for Obama's call for ousting underperforming teachers, National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel said unions weren't the main stumbling block there, as many education reformers assert.

"No one wants an incompetent teacher in the classroom," Van Roekel said. "It's in the hiring, and in those first three to five years no teacher has the right to due process."

___

Associated Press Writers Ben Feller and Julie Pace in Washington, Karen Matthews in New York, Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle and Alan C. Zagier in Columbia, Mo., contributed to this report.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/a...927/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama

Ready, set, go.

 

[rko2004]

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer Erica Werner, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 55 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Barely into the new school year, President Barack Obama issued a tough-love message to students and teachers on Monday: Their year in the classroom should be longer, and poorly performing teachers should get out.

American students are falling behind their foreign counterparts, especially in math and science, and that's got to change, Obama said. Seeking to revive a sense of urgency that education reform may have lost amid the recession's focus on the economy, Obama declared that the future of the country is at stake.

"Whether jobs are created here, high-end jobs that support families and support the future of the American people, is going to depend on whether or not we can do something about these schools," the president said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

U.S. schools through high school offer an average of 180 instruction days per year, according to the Education Commission of the States, compared to an average of 197 days for lower grades and 196 days for upper grades in countries with the best student achievement levels, including Japan, South Korea, Germany and New Zealand.

"That month makes a difference," the president said. "It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer. It's especially severe for poorer kids who may not see as many books in the house during the summers, aren't getting as many educational opportunities."

Obama said teachers and their profession should be more highly honored — as in China and some other countries, he said — and he said he wanted to work with the teachers' unions. But he also said that unions should not defend a status quo in which one-third of children are dropping out. He challenged them not to be resistant to change.

And the president endorsed the firing of teachers who, once given the chance and the help to improve, are still falling short.

"We have got to identify teachers who are doing well. Teachers who are not doing well, we have got to give them the support and the training to do well. And if some teachers aren't doing a good job, they've got to go," Obama said.

They're goals the president has articulated in the past, but his ability to see them realized is limited. States set the minimum length of school years, and although there's experimentation in some places, there's not been wholesale change since Obama issued the same challenge for more classroom time at the start of the past school year.

One issue is money, and although the president said that lengthening school years would be "money well spent," that doesn't mean cash-strapped states and districts can afford it.

"It comes down to the old bugaboo, resources. It costs money to keep kids in school," said Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, Ariz. "Everyone believes we can achieve greater things if we have a longer school year. The question is how do you pay for it."

One model is Massachusetts, where the state issues grants to districts that set out clear plans on how they would use the money to constructively lengthen instructional class time, said Kathy Christie, chief of staff at the Education Commission of the States. Obama's Education Department already is using competitions among states for curriculum grant money through its "Race to the Top" initiative.

"The federal carrots of additional money would help more states do it or schools do it in states where they don't have a state grant process," Christie said.

But the federal budget is hard-up, too. And while many educators believe students would benefit from more quality learning time, the idea is not universally popular.

In Kansas, sporadic efforts by local districts to extend the school year at even a few schools have been met by parental resistance, said state education commissioner Diane DeBacker.

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Teachers' unions say they're open to the discussion of longer classroom time, but they also say that pay needs to be part of the conversation. As for Obama's call for ousting underperforming teachers, National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel said unions weren't the main stumbling block there, as many education reformers assert.

"No one wants an incompetent teacher in the classroom," Van Roekel said. "It's in the hiring, and in those first three to five years no teacher has the right to due process."

___

Associated Press Writers Ben Feller and Julie Pace in Washington, Karen Matthews in New York, Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle and Alan C. Zagier in Columbia, Mo., contributed to this report.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/a...927/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama

Ready, set, go.

 

[mangudai954]

I dont buy that %@%% G. I want teachers on here(we have a few on here) to chime in though. The curriculum itself needs to be overhauled. Less learning how to pass standardized tests and more emphasis on actually learning! I remember whole weeks at a time studying for nothing but the FCAT(Florida standardized test) and not actually learning! That needs to change imo. I also think more trades need to be available as electives. There's a lot of little things that put together could help improve the education of the public.

 

[mangudai954]

I dont buy that %@%% G. I want teachers on here(we have a few on here) to chime in though. The curriculum itself needs to be overhauled. Less learning how to pass standardized tests and more emphasis on actually learning! I remember whole weeks at a time studying for nothing but the FCAT(Florida standardized test) and not actually learning! That needs to change imo. I also think more trades need to be available as electives. There's a lot of little things that put together could help improve the education of the public.

 

[DownByLaw]

Obama should also press for:

Destroy the current system and rebuild it
Pay teachers a hell of a lot more
Teach our students critical thinking from the jump

 

[GTA 809]

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Glad they have their priorities in order.

 

[GTA 809]

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Glad they have their priorities in order.

 

[DownByLaw]

Obama should also press for:

Destroy the current system and rebuild it
Pay teachers a hell of a lot more
Teach our students critical thinking from the jump

 

[mytmouse76]

how exactly do they decide who is a bad teacher and who isnt?

standardized test HAVE GO TO GO...thats all teachers teach for and even they hate it but they have to do it...for those of us that get it its boring and those that dont hold the class back

if they could find the money i think this would be a good idea...our kids are way behind where they should be

 

[mytmouse76]

how exactly do they decide who is a bad teacher and who isnt?

standardized test HAVE GO TO GO...thats all teachers teach for and even they hate it but they have to do it...for those of us that get it its boring and those that dont hold the class back

if they could find the money i think this would be a good idea...our kids are way behind where they should be

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Extend the school year by breaking up summer vacation and adding more free time in between. Better than grouping up a large chunk of free time in one period and having children lose traction with reading and mathematics.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Extend the school year by breaking up summer vacation and adding more free time in between. Better than grouping up a large chunk of free time in one period and having children lose traction with reading and mathematics.

 

[mytmouse76]

how exactly do they decide who is a bad teacher and who isnt?

standardized test HAVE GO TO GO...thats all teachers teach for and even they hate it but they have to do it...for those of us that get it its boring and those that dont hold the class back

if they could find the money i think this would be a good idea...our kids are way behind where they should be

 

[mytmouse76]

how exactly do they decide who is a bad teacher and who isnt?

standardized test HAVE GO TO GO...thats all teachers teach for and even they hate it but they have to do it...for those of us that get it its boring and those that dont hold the class back

if they could find the money i think this would be a good idea...our kids are way behind where they should be

 

[jeenewed]

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Glad they have their priorities in order.

Sarcasm?

Whoever supports year-round schooling is a moron. You REALLY think that kids will do better in school if they're there longer? If it was me I'd be screwing around in class and taking naps instead of listening. It would make kids less enthusiastic about learning and make them not want to even go to school every day.

 

[jeenewed]

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Glad they have their priorities in order.

Sarcasm?

Whoever supports year-round schooling is a moron. You REALLY think that kids will do better in school if they're there longer? If it was me I'd be screwing around in class and taking naps instead of listening. It would make kids less enthusiastic about learning and make them not want to even go to school every day.

 

[ag 47]

That's 208 days over the course of 13 years. American children will be an entire grade behind their European counterparts once they reach high school.

 

[ag 47]

That's 208 days over the course of 13 years. American children will be an entire grade behind their European counterparts once they reach high school.

 

[ag 47]

That's 208 days over the course of 13 years. American children will be an entire grade behind their European counterparts once they reach high school.

 

[ag 47]

That's 208 days over the course of 13 years. American children will be an entire grade behind their European counterparts once they reach high school.

 

[tkthegirl]

...studying for nothing but the FCAT(Florida standardized test) and not actually learning!


Yup! I remember missing 4 other classes up till lunch sitting in one class just quizzing for it. We did so good on the science they didn't believe us and made us take it again the next year...did just as good then too.

 

[tkthegirl]

...studying for nothing but the FCAT(Florida standardized test) and not actually learning!


Yup! I remember missing 4 other classes up till lunch sitting in one class just quizzing for it. We did so good on the science they didn't believe us and made us take it again the next year...did just as good then too.

 

[doublejs07]

Originally Posted by jeenewed

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Glad they have their priorities in order.

Sarcasm?

Whoever supports year-round schooling is a moron. You REALLY think that kids will do better in school if they're there longer? If it was me I'd be screwing around in class and taking naps instead of listening. It would make kids less enthusiastic about learning and make them not want to even go to school every day.


A LOT of schools go year-round.  My girl teaches, so I'm privy to a lot of what goes on.  Basically, some schools go 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off....repeat.  It's not nearly as bad as you may think. 

Also...Obama was being grilled today on why he chose to put his kids in an elite private school over public.  Granted, the DC public schools are a mess....but there are some good ones out there and it would have sent a strong message had he done the opposite.  FWIW, I think the last US prez to send their kids to a public school was Jimmy Carter. 

 

[doublejs07]

Originally Posted by jeenewed

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

"It's been tried," she said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation."

Glad they have their priorities in order.

Sarcasm?

Whoever supports year-round schooling is a moron. You REALLY think that kids will do better in school if they're there longer? If it was me I'd be screwing around in class and taking naps instead of listening. It would make kids less enthusiastic about learning and make them not want to even go to school every day.


A LOT of schools go year-round.  My girl teaches, so I'm privy to a lot of what goes on.  Basically, some schools go 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off....repeat.  It's not nearly as bad as you may think. 

Also...Obama was being grilled today on why he chose to put his kids in an elite private school over public.  Granted, the DC public schools are a mess....but there are some good ones out there and it would have sent a strong message had he done the opposite.  FWIW, I think the last US prez to send their kids to a public school was Jimmy Carter. 

 

[manglor]

Originally Posted by Th3RealF0lkBlu3s

Extend the school year by breaking up summer vacation and adding more free time in between. Better than grouping up a large chunk of free time in one period and having children lose traction with reading and mathematics.

This.

We have no choice if we want to compete with the rest of the world.