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October 28, 2005
Go Obama!
In light of the reform efforts in California, this is an important statement from Senator Obama of Illinois, according to the "Teacher's Commission"
---In a speech to the Center for American Progress this week, United States Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) proposed the creation of twenty innovation districts "with the best plans to put effective, supported teachers in all classrooms and increase achievement for all students."
In these districts, said Obama, the following reforms would be expected:
Better Recruitment. "Right now we don't have nearly enough effective teachers in the places we need them most: urban and rural schools, and subject areas like math and science."
Better Pay. "[T]eachers in these Innovation Districts who are successful in improving student achievement would receive substantial pay increases, as would those who choose to teach in the most troubled schools and the highest-need subject areas, like math and science."
Better Support. "[T]eachers would be paired with mentor teachers who've been there before."
Better Hiring, Funding and Transfer Policies. "Districts would work with unions to tackle these problems so that we can provide every child with an effective teacher."
"We now live in a world where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge... And today, a child in Chicago is not only competing for jobs with one in Boston, but thousands more in Bangalore and Beijing who are being educated longer and better than ever before," said Obama. "If we hope to give our children a chance, it's time we start giving our teachers a chance. We can't change the whole country overnight. But what we can do is give more school districts the chance to revolutionize the way they approach teaching."
Read or view Senator Obama's full speech here.
I like innovative ideas, and the people who bring them into the debate. What do you think?
Tim
Comments
10 bucks says more legislation will pass with no money to implement...
Remember Arnold's after school program... Great idea, but still hasn't been implemented because there is no money.
Scott
Posted by: Scott Blough at October 28, 2005 03:51 PMHello Tim
I just read your article about your band teacher
This is Ivan's wife. Was he your teacher at Lawerence MS? I am still in the valley and a teacher a Portola Middle School. I seem to remember the students by the instrument that they played I believe you were a brass player. I found you by typing in Ivan's name and you came up.
Get in touch
Ms E
Posted by: Melissa Yee-Eugenio at October 30, 2005 01:16 AM
Scott,
Are you ever the cynic? Barack Obama has the credibility to get trust from many stakeholders. He doesn't call names and burn bridges.
This man is presidential timber. He is the son of immigrants with a phd in economics. He describes himself as the skinny kid with the funny name.
I am interested where he is going witht his proposal. I like the big picture thinking.
Posted by: Nairb at October 31, 2005 09:55 AMHi Nairb:
I guess I'm more of a realist than a cynic. No doubt Obama is talented, just would love him to tell us how he intends to pay for this.
We can all think big like the "war on poverty", but if we don't have even have the remote sense of how to effectively implement, than we can talk all day until we are blue in the face.
Obama hasn't even been in the Senate for a year, yet and democrats are already telling him he should run for president. I'm interested to see where he's going, that's for sure.
This is classic primary playbook for democrats intending to run in New Hampshire though... Push out a full scale spending proposal on a major issue to get your name on a big issue. Smart politics...
Scott
Posted by: Scott Blough at October 31, 2005 10:21 AM
Aren't these just the same ole reforms repackaged into a tight little PR bow? You know what I want from a legislator for the holiday season?
I want them to tell us how they intend to implement their proposal?
Scott
Posted by: Scott Blough at October 28, 2005 03:34 PM