Nov-05-2009Obama speech ties federal grants to school overhauls
(topic overview)
CONTENTS:- "In some cases, people have seen schools as sort of a political spoil having to do with jobs and contracts instead of what we're teaching kids." (More...)
- While we still have a long way to go, we have made meaningful progress toward achieving that goal." (More...)
- In places like New Haven, educators and city leaders have come together to find a smarter way to evaluate teachers and turn around low-performing schools. (More...)
- "Most of the people here love Obama," said Camila Ugalde, 13, a Verona eighth-grader who rallied with about 40 other students for a more liberal approach toward illegal immigrant students who attain college degrees. (More...)
- The White House offered no additional information about Barrett's conversation with Gaspard. (More...)
- How much did this cost for 200 people to'see' and 'talk' to Obama? Doesn't he have anything better to do? What a waste of time, money and space. (More...)
- Across the country, different groups are coming together to bring about change in our schools -- teachers unions and parents groups, businesses and community organizations. (More...)
- Margaret McMurray, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction consultant for charter schools, sees the initiative as on target. (More...)
- Eighty-six percent of the school's 249 students are considered low-income (the highest school poverty rate in Madison), 22% have disabilities, and 39% are English language learners, according to the White House. (More...)
- Halperin says Obama hasn't been doing a good job getting people from either sides of the aisle to see eye to eye. (More...)
- In the 21st century, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, there is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation and the lives our children will lead more than the kind of education that we provide them, Obama said.Nothing is more important. (More...)
- Barrett is also poised to assume mayoral control of the ailing Milwaukee Public Schools, as New York and Chicago's notoriously powerful mayors Bloomberg and Daley have done. (More...)
- Groups of protestors with causes from ending the war to opposing abortion to universal health care gathered on Wingra Drive at Fish Hatchery Road, shouting at each other across the blocked street entrance. (More...)
- With an urban-centric president in office, it can't hurt Wisconsin to have a likeminded governor from a city background. (More...)
- To Mr. Jennings, the priorities that Race to the Top emphasizes seem aligned with where school reform is headed. (More...)
- I was incorrect when I stated above that it is an elementary school, though. (More...)
SOURCESFIND OUT MORE ON THIS SUBJECT"In some cases, people have seen schools as sort of a political spoil having to do with jobs and contracts instead of what we're teaching kids." He added, "And this status quo has held back our children; it's held back our economy; and it's held back our country for too long. It's time to stop just talking about education reform and actually do it." Mr. Obama cast education reform as not only a moral imperative, but also a strategic necessity, as American students face competition for high-paying jobs from rivals in China, India and other parts of both the developed and developing world. The president spoke at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison,Wis., to highlight an unprecedented move by his administration to make more than $4 billion in education grants available to states, but on a competitive basis as part of a program called "Race to the Top."
[1] Instead of coming together to solve them, we've let partisanship and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. It's been Democrat versus Republican, vouchers versus better public schools, more resources versus more reform. This status quo has held back our children, it has held back our economy, and it has held back our country long enough. It's time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it," Obama said. To that end, he formally announced $4 billion in "Race to the Top" grants available to competing states that commit to real reforms that focus on teaching kids, raising standards, developing good teachers, and, when necessary, taking over or closing struggling schools. Straying off his prepared speech, Obama said it's up to parents to instill in their children the desire to learn -- and told about his own daughters to make the point. He said his elder daughter, 11-year-old Malia, came home recently from the swanky Sidwell Friends private school with a 73 on a science test -- far less than the 90 percent goal. She then got a 95 on the next one, but more importantly had learned a lesson, Obama said: "I just like having knowledge,' that's what she said."
[2] The United States, a nation that has always led the way in innovation, is now being outpaced in math and science education, Obama pointed out. He said that African American and Latino students continue to lag behind their white classmates - an achievement gap that will ultimately cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars because that population represents the future workforce. Of course, these problems aren't new, Obama said. We've heard about them for years.But instead of coming together to solve them, we've let partisanship and petty bickering stand in the way of progress.It has been Democrat versus Republican, it's been voucher versus public schools, it's been more money versus more reform. In some cases, people have seen schools as sort of a political spoil having to do with jobs and contracts instead of what kids are being taught, he said. This status quo has held back our children, it's held back our economy, and it's held back our country for too long, Obama said.It's time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it.It's time to make education America's national mission.
[3] Instead of coming together to solve them, we've let partisanship and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. It's been Democrat versus Republican, vouchers versus better public schools, more resources versus more reform," the President said. "This status quo has held back our children, it has held back our economy, and it has held back our country long enough. It's time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it. It's time to make education America's national mission." In a meeting with a small group of students in the library at the middle school before addressing a larger group of invitees, the President talked about his and Michelle Obama's education, and how hard the two of them worked, even going to Harvard and Princeton, using his background as an example. "There's nothing more important than what you're doing here at this school.
[4] On the one-year anniversary of his historic election, President Barack Obama became the first president since 1950 to visit Madison while in office. The president spent Wednesday afternoon at Madison's Wright Middle School to push his vision for education reform. After a first year in office in which he's rolled up his sleeves on the economy and health, President Obama is now tackling education. "In the 21st century, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, there is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation or the lives our children will lead more than the kind of education we provide them," he told an audience of students, educators, and about 50 parents. When it comes to students in this country falling behind students in other countries, the president says reform needs a sense of urgency. "This status quo has held back our children, it has held back our economy, and it has held back our country long enough. It's time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it. It's time to make education America's national mission."
[5] Obama called for the abolition of "firewall" rules, which prevent many schools from judging teacher performance based on student performance. To win the grant money, they'll also have to develop internationally competitive standards, find innovative ways to recruit educators and track the progress of students to make sure every child graduates ready for college. "If a state wants to increase its chances of actually winning a grant, it will have to do more," Obama said. "It will have to collect information about how students are doing in a particular year -- and over the course of an academic career -- and make this information available to teachers so they can use it to improve the way they teach. That's how teachers can determine what they should be doing differently in the classroom. That's how principals can determine what changes need to be made in our schools." The president, who delivered his remarks at James C. Wright Middle School on the first anniversary of his election, went off script for a few moments, telling of a C grade that his 11-year-old daughter, Malia, brought home from school recently. It didn't meet the standards at the Obama home, he said, and Malia knew it. He said, she came home with a score of 95. "What was happening was, she had started wanting it more than us," he said. The president challenged parents to set a high bar at home, but he also pledged support from the government in demanding the same of public schools. "In the 21st century, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow," he said, "there is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation, or the lives our children will lead, more than the kind of education we provide them."
[6] Obama and his Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, traveled to Wright Middle School in Madison, WI. Wright is a charter school with the highest population of minority students in the area. Wisconsin has just announced statewide changes to their education system, with the hopes of receiving a portion of the $4.35 billion the White House will award to various states in their "Race to the Top" competition that will roll out in the next few weeks. "It's been wonderful to see states moving in the right direction to challenge the status quo, to push toward the kind of dramatic change the President talked about during the campaign, and to see so much movement before we spent a dollar of this money is very, very encouraging," Duncan told reporters on board Air Force One on the way to Madison.
[4] The president's tough words came as Obama spoke to students and teachers at a charter middle school in Wisconsin's capital, Madison. As he announced the criteria by which states can win grants from the Department of Education's $4.35-billion "Race to the Top" fund, Obama spelled out standards that depart from conventional Democratic dogma.
[6] Obama spoke to about 600 students, parents, teachers, politicians and others at Madison's Wright Middle School. He touted Race to the Top, which is a $4.5 billion grant program targeting innovative education reforms in states.
[7] The focus was purely on education reform, with Obama telling a tightly packed gymnasium of parents, teachers and students at Wright Middle School that the time has come to stop talking about reform and actually do it. American prosperity has long rested on how well we educate our children, and this has never been more true than it is today, Obama said as he stood before a banner that read Race to the Top, which is the catchphrase for a $4.35 billion federal program targeted to improve schools.
[3] At Wright Middle School in Madison, Wis.,
today, Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will meet with students and the president will speak about education reform and strengthening the nation's schools. Obama will promote his administration's
"Race to the Top" initiative, a $4.35 billion education program funded through the Recovery Act.
[8] During a speech at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wis., Obama plugged the federal government's $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, which will soon allot extra federal stimulus funds to states based on the strength of the education reforms those states enact.
[9] MADISON, Wis. — Pushing for a link between student test scores and teacher pay, President Barack Obama on Wednesday dangled $5 billion in federal grants to states willing to undertake a top-to-bottom overhaul of their schools in support of White House priorities. The day after fellow Democrats lost gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, Obama tried to turn attention to his education agenda, an area in which he has made significant progress. While the president said his first obligation was bringing the U.S. economy back from the brink of collapse, he added that long-term economic success can only be achieved by making investments in education.
[10] MADISON, Wis. -- President Barack Obama's speech in Madison Wednesday is energizing some educators and lawmakers who will return to the Capitol Thursday to vote on a series of education bills that would put the state in position to qualify and compete for federal Race to the Top program money. One of those five bills to be voted on by the Wisconsin Legislature would allow performance-based pay for teachers, which is a controversial issue. When it comes to the classroom, Obama made in clear in his speech Wednesday that students must come first and teachers have to be topnotch.
[11] Mr. Obama is hoping to change the subject. He is planning a trip to Madison, Wis., to spotlight his Race to the Top competition, a new federal program that allows states to compete for $4.35 billion in education grant money. '''It'''s the first anniversary of the president'''s election, and we think that'''s important because in this past 12-month period we have been able to meet and achieve various benchmarks, consistent with the president'''s goals on education,'''''' Melody Barnes, Mr. Obama'''s domestic policy adviser, told reporters Tuesday in a conference call to preview the president'''s trip. The decision to highlight Race to the Top makes political sense for the president: the competition, which has drawn favorable reviews from some Republicans, is already prompting states to change their education practices ''' even before any money is handed out.
[12] The
AP previews Obama'''s trip to Wisconsin today. "One year after his election, President Barack Obama is coaxing states across the country to rewrite education laws and cut deals with unions as they pursue his vision for school reform. Obama is visiting Wisconsin, where lawmakers are poised to change a law to boost their state's chances at $5 billion in education grants, the most money a president has ever had for overhauling schools.
[13] "The United States, a nation that has always led the way in innovation, is now being outpaced in math and science education," said President Obama. "A handful of states have even gone in the wrong direction, lowering their standards at the very moment that they should be raising them." Mr. Obama praised Wisconsin and nine other states which have updated their education laws and made deals with the unions that oppose some of those changes. The education grants will come from the $787 billion economic stimulus approved early this year.
[14] Alyson Klein, who reports on federal education policy, joined the staff in February 2006 after nearly two years at Congress Daily. President Obama continues to try to drum up interest and excitement in Race to the Top, using a
speech in Wisconsin today to urge the state's lawmakers to remove its student-teacher data firewall and highlight progress other states have made in
gearing up for this national reform competition. Readers of EdWeek or this blog won't see anything really new in his speech. It was significant that he spent a large chunk of the speech trying to educate people about those four "assurances" in the stimulus law, which are clearly becoming the education reform vision of the Obama administration.
[15] With Wisconsin's legislative session ending Thursday, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has said the push to put Milwaukee's mayor in control of MPS will require a special session. Through Race to the Top, Obama said, the federal government will be looking to reward states that can show the changes they have made in education are working, states that are taking an "all hands on deck approach to education reform," and states that are willing to transform schools from top to bottom by closing buildings or firing poor teachers.
[9] The last time a sitting president came to Madison, was back in 1950, when Harry Truman made a visit to the capitol city. MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- President Barack Obama used his stop at a Madison middle school on Wednesday to focus on the opportunity to make education reform under the federal Race to the Top program. He says it's time to make education reform America's national mission.
[7] President Obama promoted education reform today in Madison. He urged politicians, parents and teachers to make improving schools a national priority. The president spoke at a middle school known for its small class sizes and attention to special needs education. Mr. Obama said, unfortunately, many other schools are known for negative characteristics, such as an achievement gap between whites and minorities. The president said it's time for everyone to stop talking about improving schools, and instead make education a "national mission."
[16] In a speech before an invited audience of politicians, parents, teachers and students, Mr. Obama challenged the nation's educators to reverse the status quo in American schools. "This status quo has held back our children," said the President. "It's held back our economy, and it's held back our country for too long. It's time to stop just talking about education reform, and start actually doing it. It's time to make education America's national mission."
[17] Speaking in front of a blue backdrop with words "Race to the Top" scrawled in white letters, Obama spoke generally about education to about 250 students as well as hundreds of parents, teachers, staff and local dignitaries packed into the an auditorium that normally serves as the school's lunchroom. He also recapped the last year. "One year ago, Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see," Obama said. " Election Day was a day of hope, it was a day of possibility, but it was also a sobering one because we knew even then that we faced an array of challenges that would test us as a country." Obama said his administration "had two fundamental obligations," to "rescue the economy from imminent collapse" and to make "long-term investments necessary to build our economy stronger than before." Part of those long-term investments, he said, involved education.
[9] Obama came to Wisconsin a day before state lawmakers here planned to vote to lift a ban on using student test scores to judge teacher performance. The Obama administration has said that such restrictions would hurt a state's chances of getting part of the $5 billion competitive grant fund, dubbed "Race to the Top." "If you're willing to hold yourselves more accountable, if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, we'll offer you a grant to help make that plan a reality," he said.
[10] The program offers competitive grants to states that have policies aligned with certain federal priorities. These priorities include a willingness to evaluate teachers using student achievement, an openness to charter schools, and a commitment to building long-term data systems to track student performance. Now, numerous states are revisiting laws that would disqualify them from the grants or make their applications less attractive. '''The administration has done a good job of having a lot of states make a long-odds bet that they'''re going to win Race to the Top funds, so they'''ve shaped their behavior a lot in advance of a single dollar being awarded,''' says Russ Whitehurst, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
[18] Charter schools and test scores fit into four broad goals that Obama wants states to pursue — tougher academic standards, better ways to recruit and keep effective teachers, a method of tracking student performance and a plan of action to turn around failing schools. A state will have to meet a series of conditions to earn points and boost its chances. Applications will be available this month, and the first round of grants will be awarded early next year.
[19] President Obama said, "What we want to do is finally get testing right. It's about measuring not only whether our kids can master the basics but whether they can solve challenging tasks and possess skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and entrepreneurship." The president also says states need to pay closer attention to who's standing in the front of the classroom and leading their schools. "We've got to do a better job recruiting and preparing new teachers, rewarding outstanding teachers, and moving bad teachers out of the classroom once they've been given the opportunity to do it right." Before his speech, the president sat down with students at Wright Middle School for a personal discussion. He talked about growing up in Chicago with a single mother and his grandparents, his experience as a student, and how succeeding in school involves making choices and always wanting to know more.
[5] President Obama is visiting Wisconsin today to talk about education and meet with students at a Madison middle school. Barrett has not announced whether he will run for governor, and some say Obama, who has intervened in local politics in other states, might be coming to offer behind-the-scenes support for Barrett, a Democrat, to replace Gov. Jim Doyle.
[20] MADISON, WI -- Speaking to about 500 students, teachers, and officials in a small gymnasium at James C. Wright Middle School, President Obama promoted the administration'''s efforts to '''make education America'''s national mission.'''
[21] WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama travels to Madison, Wis., to speak about the importance of strengthening America's educational system. Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will also meet with students at Wright Middle School in Madison this afternoon.
[22] The new look marked a special occasion for the 8th grader at Wright Middle School. Ford was one of about 40 students who met with President Barack Obama today in advance of his education talk at the school. '''It'''s good for students here to see him here at school instead of just on TV,''' said Ford, who shook the president'''s hand. The president talked with the group about when he was a kid, and encouraged them to make the most of their education. Ford said meeting the president will probably foster better study habits and prompt him to do his best in school.
[23] Obama discusses education at Wright Middle School in Madison, and promotes the Race-to-the-Top initiative, but if the goal is to push the former Congressman from Milwaukee into the race, why not just go to Milwaukee? Preibus says Obama is in Madison under the guise of education, saying the race-to-the-top funding is just a cloak behind the attempt to save a sinking ship. "Quite frankly, Barack Obama isn't doing so great around the country and if New Jersey is any indication we'd love to have Barack Obama come to Wisconsin every week because it seems like every time he makes an appearance the folks that he's trying to help are sinking further and further in the toilet."
[24] U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday used his own family to illustrate how important it is for parents to keep after their kids about their school work. He was speaking about education to an audience in Madison, Wisconsin. He talked about the hard work he and First Lady Michelle had put into instilling in their children - Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8 - that they want to learn for themselves. He said Malia had come home the other day depressed because she got 73 per cent on her science test. Obama said he discussed the science test with Malia, who analyzed where she had fallen short and vowed to start reading the whole chapter of her science book instead of just the study guide handed out by the teacher. 'So she came home yesterday, she was - 'I got a 95' - right? - so she's high-fiving,' Obama said, referring to the high hand slap two people share when they're happy.
[25] Wake Up Wisconsin anchors Roland Beres and Barbara Vaughan moderated the session during President Obama's visit to Madison. Hundreds of people express their opinions, and they were all over the board -- some positive, other negative. Monica wrote - "Education is important and he (President Obama) needs to focus on it because otherwise, what will happen in our future? We will not have any great leaders." Deb H. wrote - "It would have been nice if the President could have gone to a rural area, politicians often forget about the rural people." Scott W. wrote - "Education, wars, economy, health care - it's all important and it can't be fixed with a snap of the fingers. You can second guess why he didn't choose any one of 1,000 schools across the nation. He's in Madison - enjoy the moment."
[26] Demonstrating and sustaining education reform by promoting collaborations between business leaders, educators, and other stakeholders to raise student achievement and close achievement gaps, and by expanding support for high-performing public charter schools, reinvigorating math and science education, and promoting other conditions favorable to innovation and reform. In its annual white paper report to the governor and the legislature, since 2002 the Wisconsin Technology Council has emphasized that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is vital to economic growth in Wisconsin. It's not enough to say that Wisconsin can compete with those in Iowa and Minnesota, said Tech Council President Tom Still We need to compete with highly educated young people in India and China, and the European Union, as well. We already have some important head starts in this state, but we cannot rest on our laurels.
[3] MADISON - Exactly one year after his historic election to the White House, President Barack Obama came to a racially diverse charter school Wednesday to outline his plans for education reform. While political insiders wondered whether Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett would choose the occasion to announce his plans to run for governor in 2010 - Barrett is behind a controversial plan to take over the struggling Milwaukee Public Schools - on this day there would be no such announcement.
[3] Barrett is under increasing pressure to run for governor next year since the Democratic Party has no major candidate. Barrett says he and Obama spoke briefly in Madison before the president's speech, but it was all about education. Obama called Barrett an outstanding mayor when he introduced him during the speech at a Madison middle school. Obama didn't mention the governor's race during his comments, which focused on education.
[27] Obama was accompanied by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for the speech at Wright, a charter school located on Madison's south side, with an enrollment of about 250 students. Obama said $4 billion will be available through Race To The Top, and he challenged states to compete for the money. "It's not just going through the usual political formulas," he said.
[17] Before that, charter school restrictions or budget cuts were eased in eight states — Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Delaware, Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Duncan had repeatedly warned that such restrictions would hurt a state's chances at the money. Obama has considerable leverage in his nearly $5 billion competitive grant fund, dubbed the "Race to the Top," that was set aside in the economic stimulus law. No president has ever had that much money for schools at his discretion.
[19] Obama is on his way to James C. Wright Middle School to discuss how states can compete for $4.35 billion in grants through what he calls the Race to the Top Fund.
[28] "Election Day was a day of hope, it was a day of possibility," Obama said at the start of an education speech in Madison, Wis. "But it was also a sobering one." His administration faced "an array of challenges" that included the financial crisis, record budget deficits, two wars and "frayed alliances around the world," Obama told the crowd at James C. Wright Middle School. Those challenges placed two obligations on his administration, Obama said, starting with rescuing the economy "from imminent collapse." He said the $787 billion stimulus bill and other actions are meeting this goal, though unemployment remains high.
[29] We had record deficits, two wars, frayed alliances around the world," Obama said at Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisc. He said his administration has saved the economy from "imminent collapse" and is now moving ahead on its second core obligation -- to rebuild the economy stronger than before. "It was an obligation to tackle the festering problems that had been kicked down the road year after year, decade after decade; problems that have to be overcome America to move forward," Obama said
[2] "We are saying to states, 'If you are committed to real change in the way you educate your children, if you are willing to hold yourselves more accountable, and if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, then we will offer you a big grant to help you make that plan a reality," said Mr. Obama. One year after he was elected, Mr. Obama said his administration's first priority was to keep the U.S. economy from collapsing. He said the nation's long-term economic health depends on the quality of its schools. "In the 21st century, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, there is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation and the lives that our children will lead more than the kind of education we provide them," he said.
[14] Mr. Obama made no mention of last night'''s GOP gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey. After marking the one-year anniversary of his election and touting his administration'''s efforts to stimulate the economy, Mr. Obama dove into education and the administration's '''Race To The Top''' initiative, which seeks to spur reforms and innovation by having states compete for a share of $4.35 billion in stimulus grants.
[21] "The currency of today's economy is knowledge," Obama said. "It's time to stop talking about education reform and time to start doing it." The proposed guidelines for the federal government's Race to the Top program (
http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html ) have been available since summer, but Obama said the real competition will begin once states can start competing for those grants.
[9] Mr. Obama's $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds have already spurred significant education reform in a number of states ''' even though the final guidelines for the program haven'''t yet been announced, no states have yet applied, and the first grants won'''t be made until at least April.
[18] MADISON, Wis. — President Barack Obama is making a pitch for states to rewrite their education laws and is offering some $5 billion in education grants as leverage. Obama on Wednesday told an audience in Wisconsin that an education in the United States is a prerequisite to success and that Washington stands ready to help states teach their students. He is making a fresh pitch and challenging lawmakers to set aside bickering and make education a national priority.
[30] In a tough talk on education, the president spells out criteria for winning $4.35 billion in federal grants. He challenges rules that say teachers should not be judged by how their students perform. President Obama tells students in Madison, Wis., of his daughter Malia's improvement in the classroom.
[6] Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Reince Priebus, says his party agrees with many of the education reform ideas the President Obama espoused in Madison during his Wednesday visit. Those include linking teacher and student performance, and either rewarding or disciplining teachers based on what happens in the classroom.
[31] President Obama sent an unmistakable message to the nation's teachers unions and school administrators Wednesday during a speech at a Wisconsin charter school: Don't stand in the way of education reform.
[1] "We've got to do a better job of rewarding outstanding teachers," Mr. Obama said. "And I've got to be honest, we've got to do a better job of moving bad teachers out of the classroom once they've been given an opportunity to do it right." The president also raised the prospect of closing down struggling schools if they fail repeatedly - "We will take drastic steps when schools aren't working," he said - and said if charter schools "are succeeding, they shouldn't be stifled; they should be supported." While the nation's two largest teachers unions - the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers - have opposed reforms in the past, they have begun to show flexibility lately in moving toward such ideas as performance-based pay for teachers and administrators, as well as higher accountability standards tied to government funds.
[1] "We challenging states to compete for it. I have to tell you, this was not an easy thing to get through Congress. This is not normally how federal dollars work." The President laid out four strategies which he believes are necessary to turn around the most troubled school. They include transforming the nation's lowest-performing schools; using timely information on outcomes to improve teaching; supporting outstanding teachers and principals, and implementing higher standards and better assessments to prepare students for life beyond the classroom. Obama said willingness to adopt those strategies will play a crucial role in determining how much Race To The Top funding individual states ultimately receive.
[17] The president outlined how states might be evaluated for Race to the Top dollars. Obama said he wants to see higher standards and better testing; better teachers recruited and prepared for their jobs; and a method to track student and teacher progress. Obama said he wants to see states not just improve their mid-grade schools but commit to fixing problem schools.
[11] The $4.35 billion '''Race to the Top''' program provides money to encourage states to increase academic standards, find better ways to recruit and keep quality teachers, track student performance and have a plan to turn around failing schools.
[32] Now, even with stronger standards, better assessments, outstanding teachers, some schools will still be difficult to turn around. I want us to be honest about this. There are some schools that are starting in a tough position -- a lot of kids coming from impoverished backgrounds, a lot of kids coming in that may have not gotten the kind of head start that they needed; they start school already behind. Even though there are heroic teachers and principals in many of these schools, the fact is that they need some extra help. That's why the fourth measure we'll use in awarding Race to the Top grants is whether a state is focused on transforming not just its high-performing schools, not just the middle-of-the-pack schools, but the lowest-performing schools. (Applause.) We'll look at whether they're willing to remake a school from top to bottom with new leaders and a new way of teaching, replacing a school's principal if it's not working, and at least half its staff -- (applause) -- close a school for a time and then reopen it under new management, even shut down the school entirely and send its schools -- send its students to a better school nearby. There's always excuses for why these schools can't perform.
[2] What we want to do -- what we want to do is finally get testing right. It's not about more tests, it's about being smarter about our assessments. It's about measuring not only whether our kids can master the basics, but whether they can solve challenging tasks, do they have the skills like critical thinking and teamwork and entrepreneurship; assessments that don't just give us a snapshot of how a student is doing in a particular subject, but a big picture look at how they're learning overall; and assessments that will help tell us if our kids have the knowledge and the skills to thrive when they graduate. We're not just interested in can they fill out a bubble. What we want to do is to take a look generally -- are kids learning and gaining the critical thinking skills that they need to succeed. Now, these are the kinds of assessments that our states should be putting in place, and we're setting up a separate competition where they can win grants, extra grants to help them do just that. Standards and assessments, that's the first measure; are we doing that well? If the state wants to get a Race to the Top grant, they've got to do that well. Because we know that from the moment our kids enter a school, the most important factor in their success -- other than their parents -- is the person standing in front of the classroom, the teacher. The second measure is whether a state is committed to putting effective teachers in its classrooms and effective principals at the helm of its schools. Now, it's time to start taking this commitment seriously.
[2] Oval colleague Greg Toppo provides details of the program
here. In unveiling the new grant program back in July, Obama said he was issuing a challenge to educators in every state. "If you set and enforce rigorous and challenging standards and assessments; if you put outstanding teachers at the front of the classroom; if you turn around failing schools, your state can win a Race to the Top grant," he said. In his remarks today, Obama is expected to discuss how his administration is finalizing the rules for grant applications. He will also highlight reform efforts that are already beginning.
[28] Last summer, Obama outlined a plan to help states and local school districts establish and enforce rigorous academic standards and assessments. In the coming weeks, the U.S. Department of Education will issue the final guidance for states under the Race to the Top initiative.The competition will be conducted in two rounds - the first starting this month and the second in June of next year - with winners announced in April and September.
[3] "The work continues, but we are moving in the right direction," Obama pledged at a speech to a school in northern Wisconsin. "And we are going to keep on fulfilling our obligation to do every single thing we possibly can to pull this economy out of the ditch and to make sure that people can find jobs that pay good wages. That's our top priority." On November 4, 2008 Obama turned a page in American history when he became the first African American to be voted into the Oval Office, defeating veteran senator and staunch Republican John McCain. "One year ago, Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see," he told the crowd in the Madison school, which leapt to its feet in a standing ovation.
[33] During the speech, Obama seemed to
borrow a line from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in town last week, calling education a new "national mission." Malia was probably thrilled to have her grade broadcast across the country. He used this to illustrate how his daughter decided to change her study habits so she could learn better. "Part of our job as parents is not to just tell our kids what to do but instilling in them a sense that they want to do it for themselves," he said.) Although no one, including Obama, is saying when the final Race to the Top regulations will be out, he did declare today that "now the race starts." UPDATE: Obama continued his Race to the Top theme today, even
championing the program in his congratulatory call to Virginia's new Gov. -elect Bob McDonnell, a Republican who won in a landslide. Education Secretary Arne Duncan attended today's Wisconsin speech, hitching a ride on Air Force One, and even getting his own press gaggle. Read the Q-and-A Duncan had with the traveling White House press corps
here. (I didn't see anything earth-shattering in this. Note that he says Race to the Top final regulations will be out "soon."
[15] If the measure does not pass, Wisconsin will not be eligible for Race to the Top dollars. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told ABC News in July that as in any competition not everyone will win, and thus some states will not receive this funding. He said hopes the competitive spirit will drive reform. "I think there'll be tremendous pressure on states, state legislatures where things aren't happening, by parents saying exactly that: 'Our children deserve a slice of the pie, and we want that pressure,'" Duncan said, '''This isn't about winners and losers'''This is about challenging the status quo as a country, getting dramatically better and giving every child in this country a chance they desperately need to have a great, great quality education."
[34] We will take drastic steps when schools aren't working. (Applause.) These are the kinds of vigorous strategies that are necessary to turn around our most troubled schools: transforming our lowest-performing schools; using timely information to improve the way we teach our children; outstanding teachers and principals in our classrooms and our schools that are getting the support they need; higher standards and better assessments that prepare our kids for life beyond a classroom. These are the challenges, the four challenges that states have to take up if they want to win a Race to the Top award. These are the four challenges that our country has to meet for our children to outcompete workers around the world, for our economy to grow and to prosper, and for America to lead in the 21st century. Now, let me just close by saying this -- I've said this before, but I never miss an opportunity to impress this upon an audience.
[2] The president says the U.S. needs better schools to compete in the 21st century global economy. President Obama is offering billions of dollars in government grants to states which enact broad reforms in their schools.
[14] Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus bill included the education grants — the most money a president has ever had for overhauling schools — for which states can compete.
[10] Obama'''s address Wednesday on strengthening the country'''s education system stressed student responsibility for learning. The president traveled here with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan on the one-year anniversary of his election to office to speak before 900 people squeezed into the gym at the middle school on Fish Hatchery Road. In his meeting with students beforehand at the library, Obama said success ultimately rests with students, but that the government is prepared to spend '''a lot of money to try to improve school buildings and put computers in and make sure that your teachers are well trained and that they are getting the support they need.'''
[23] Thousands of the state's troops remain overseas, continuing to fight battles a world away. In this middle school cafeteria in Madison, where 83 percent of the children are poor enough to receive free or reduced lunches, President Barack Obama reflected on that day a year ago. 'Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see,' he said.
[35] MADISON, Wis. - Anti-war protesters gathered outside the Madison middle school where President Barack Obama planned to give a speech to about 500 students, school members and invited guests Wednesday.
[36] President Obama speaks about education in a speech Wednesday at Wright Middle School in Madison.
[37] The setup started early Wednesday morning at Wright Middle School, where President Obama will speak later in the day on education reform.
[37] Barnes says the President is going to Wisconsin because of the education reform work going on there. He wanted to speak at a school with a diverse student population, and where there is positive achievement growth and this school has both. Rodriguez says Wright Middle School has been recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Education, and is known for its strong core curriculum and for its well-rounded curriculum in terms of offering enrichment programs such as arts and music.
[32] President Obama got a chance to sit down and talk with students in Wisconsin Wednesday. He spoke at a middle school in Madison.
[7] Reporting from Madison, Wis. - Declaring there should be "no excuse for mediocrity" in public schools, President Obama on Wednesday pledged to push for recruitment of better teachers, better pay for those who succeed and dismissal of those who let their students down. When principals are trying to determine which teachers are doing well, he said, they should be able to consider student performance as part of the evaluation.
[6] Examples include a new core curriculum in Missouri; decisions in California and Indiana to link data on student achievement to teacher performance; and expanded use of charter schools in Illinois, Louisiana, and Tennessee. "Several states are changing their approaches to education in order to be part of the application process," said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. Obama, who has linked his education program to economic recovery, is scheduled to speak around 2:30 p.m., eastern time.
[28] Creating incentives for public and private school teachers to learn new practices and skills are also part of the solution, Still said. Four out of every 10 new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training within the next decade, Obama said during a discussion with students prior to his speech. There was a time when if you just got a high school education and you were willing to work hard, you could get a job in a trade or in the factory that paid a middle-class wage, he said. Those days are declining.
[3] ". That's why we've been pushing so hard on health care reform. That's why we're taking up the cause of a clean energy economy that will free America from the grip of foreign oil and generate millions of good-paying jobs in the process. That's why we're taking up the cause that I'm here to talk about today ' that is offering the best possible education to America's sons and daughters." He listed some of public schools' woes: falling behind the rest of the world in math and science education, lowering standards for students, and the achievement gap continuing for African-American and Latino students. "Of course, these problems aren't new. We've heard about them for years.
[2] Speaking one year to the day he was elected, President Obama this afternoon used the anniversary to call for "a national mission" to improve public education and build it into a pillar -- along with an overhauled health care system and clean energy jobs -- of the new economy. "One year ago, Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see.
[2] MADISON (WKOW) -- President Obama's visit to Madison came hours after New Jersey's democratic governor's unsuccessful bid for re-election, and with no announced, democratic candidate in Wisconsin's gubernatorial race. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who has been strongly encouraged by a number of leading state democrats to make the race, said his chat with the president in Madison avoided the topic. "I talked with him on the tarmac briefly, but not about politics," Barrett said after Obama's appearance. "It was about education. This was an education visit. That's what the conversation was about."
[38] Republicans still believe the President is visiting Wisconsin for one reason only. Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Reince Preibus says both President Barack Obama and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle realize how important it is to help convince the undecided Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to jump into the state gubernatorial race. "In my view this is nothing more than an attempt to get Mayor Barrett into this governor's race while the Democrats in Wisconsin are sucking for air. They've just got beat out east, they don't have a governor candidate in the state of Wisconsin, they don't have many legislative candidates to speak of, and now Barack Obama comes into town to try to save the day."
[24] The mayor said there's now hope at the federal level. "With No Child Left Behind, we had high standards, but nothing in the way of resources to meet them. I think what Obama promises us is continuing high standards, but the resources to help us meet them." Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who along with Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has proposed mayoral takeover of MPS, said he didn't talk with the President specifically about that issue. "I think the mere fact that he's here in Wisconsin, he knows, the Secretary of Education knows, that this debate is going on. He wouldn't be here if he wanted to stay away from that debate."
[17] Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville), who also attended the president's Madison appearance at James Wright middle school, told 27 News Barrett is getting a message and encouragement from Obama. "He's put some focus and some energy into convincing Tom Barrett to run for governor.
[38] Barrett and Gaspard spoke before Obama's afternoon speech at a Madison middle school and the mayor's office confirmed the two talked briefly. Earlier, Barrett greeted Obama as he landed in Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon. The mayor told the Associated Press that he and the president did not discuss a potential gubernatorial campaign.
[39] Tomorrow, on the anniversary of his election, President Barack Obama heads to Madison, Wisconsin to speak at a local middle school.
[34] Read the complete text of President Obama's prepared remarks at Wright Middle School in Madison.
[5] UPDATED: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 4:47 p.m. While most of the action was inside Wright Middle School Wednesday, people gathered outside to try and catch a glimpse of the President and to have their voices heard. A diverse crowd of about 200 people gathered outside Wright Middle School at the corner of Wingra Drive and Fish Hatchery Road Wednesday hoping that President Obama would drive past and make note of what they were trying to say.
[40] The Secret Service wanted buses to protect President Obama from threats from the marshy area across from Wright Middle School, but there weren't any available.
[37] Last year, the state recognized Wright School as one of Wisconsin's exemplary middle schools. '''When innovative public schools are succeeding, they shouldn'''t be stifled,''' said the president. '''They should be supported.'''
[21] Milwaukee's outstanding mayor, Tom Barrett, is in the house. (Applause.) I am so impressed with the work that's been done here at Wright Middle School and I know that Principal Nancy Evans deserves a huge amount of credit, so please give her a big round of applause. (Applause.) To the faculty and the staff, but most importantly, the students, who I had a chance to meet with earlier today, they are just some outstanding young people. If there are any parents of students in the house you should be proud -- and give them all a big round of applause. (Applause.) Now, it's great to be back in Madison, great to be back in Wisconsin. I've heard great things about Wright, so I've got very high expectations for all the students here -- and I told them this. I expect them to keep up the good work that you've already been putting in to make sure that you succeed not just in middle school, but also in high school, also in college, and for the rest of your lives. Parents, I want you to stay on them because -- because that is an absolutely critical ingredient for their success. You know, one year ago, Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see. (Applause.)
[2] Mid-morning, a no-man's zone sprung up around the school, penetrable only by police, media and ticketed VIP guests. Those guests, numbering in the several hundred, parked in a special lot off Plaenart Drive and boarded buses to the school. They included Madison School Board members, state labor leaders, parents of Wright students who won a lottery to attend and several UW-Madison students who had volunteered for Obama's campaign.
[41] The Republican candidate for governor drew 60 percent of independents in New Jersey and 66 percent in Virginia. In the presidential election last year, Obama had won both states. The conundrum for Democrats is especially obvious here, the liberal bastion around the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where Obama chose to mark the one-year anniversary of his election Wednesday with an appearance. On campus described by one Wisconsin politician as an isthmus of liberalism surrounded by reality students and other young voters said they see a dwindling of enthusiasm. Will Bradley, a senior in Spanish and economics, said he likes much of what he says is Obama's pragmatic, methodical approach to passing his agenda. Bradley said, "he does need to come through on what he promised." Milchman, who moved to Madison from Vermont this year, said he doesn't feel angry about the lack of change, just disappointed by it. "I'm just not that impressed by how things are going," he said. "It's not that I would go vote for some other party. It's just that I feel disheartened about the whole thing." That speaks to the potential threat for Democrats, said Charles Franklin, political scientist and pollster at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Obama won in 2008 by turning out young and minority voters, and a drop-off in enthusiasm is a problem if it means a drop-off in their motivation to vote.
[42] Nine states so far have taken steps to compete, and Wisconsin was expected to vote Thursday to lift a ban on using student test scores to judge teachers. That helps clear the way for an Obama priority: teacher pay tied to student performance. "They had to make some changes just to join the race," Obama said.
[10] Nine other states have taken similar steps, even though states can't apply for the money yet and only a few states may end up getting grants''' Wisconsin lawmakers planned to vote Thursday to lift a ban on using student test scores to judge teachers. That helps clear the way for an Obama priority, teacher pay tied to student performance."
[13] When the administration announced the competition in July, four states ''' California, New York, Nevada and Wisconsin ''' had laws explicitly barring the linkage of student achievement data with teacher performance, said Andrew Rotherham, co-founder of Education Sector, a research organization. California has already changed its law, and the Wisconsin legislature is contemplating doing so, which is one reason Mr. Obama is going to visit.
[12] Obama, who has targeted lagging achievements in education as an overall problem in the United States, urged the students and teachers at Wright to aim higher, saying an education is "a prerequisite for success." "Of course, these problems aren't new. We've heard about them for years.
[4] "We have to get better faster," the education secretary told reporters. "There are teachers every single year where the average child in their class is gaining two years of growth — two years of growth per year of instruction. That is Herculean work. Those teachers are the unsung heroes in our society. Nobody can tell you who those teachers are." States can't apply for the money yet, and relatively few may end up getting grants, but it's a key incentive for Obama to push forward his education plan.
[10] The administration can't really tell states and schools what to do, since education has been largely a state and local responsibility throughout the history of the U.S. But the grants gives Obama considerable leverage. He sees the test score data and charter schools, which are publicly funded but independent of local school boards, as solutions to the problems that plague public education.
[10] Obama was talking about the $4 billion in Race to the Top grants the administration will award schools. States will be able to apply for the billions ('''with a B,''' said Obama) to bolster their schools in months to come.
[23] The Race to the Top Fund provides competitive grants to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; implementing ambitious plans in the four education reform areas described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA); and achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring that students are prepared for success in college and careers.
[32] Priebus predicts, that despite the President's pleas to pass education reform, state Democrats will not make drastic changes. "The Democrats in Madison are not going to adopt the specific provisions that would allow them to qualify for this Race to the Top funding. While the rhetoric sounds good, and the President loves going to places and sounding good, the problem is, the details adopted by the Democrats of this state, don't match up to the rhetoric that the President is sending out there for people to listen to," Priebus says.
[31] President Obama was looking to challenge states to compete for more than four billion dollars in education reform money.
[7] "We are putting over $4 billion on the table -$4 billion, with a 'B'-one of the largest investments that the federal government has ever made in education reform," said President Obama.
[14] In Madison Wednesday, President Obama said the federal government plans to hand out more than $4 billion throughout the country to improve education.
[43] Duncan said the high school dropout rate in America is 30%. Straying from his prepared remarks, the president offered a story about his daughter Malia. She recently brought home a 73% on a science exam, and after the president insisted that simply wasn'''t good enough, she worked harder and yesterday brought home a 95% on a test. Mr. Obama'''s visit to Madison, which is the first by a sitting president to this city in 59 years, comes as the Republican National Committee is running a radio ad in Madison criticizing the $787 billion stimulus package.
[21] The shirts were made by Richard Henderson, a former teacher'''s aide at Wright who now owns and operates Richard'''s Shirt Factory in the Genesis Enterprise Center. '''This was beautiful,''' Henderson said of Obama'''s talk. '''They need to start focusing on education and stop taking away the funding.''' Alicia Michaels, a 13-year-old 7th grader at Wright, wore her Obama shirt, saying it'''s '''cool to have the first black president at school.'''
[23] More competition between schools is not what we need. All of those involved in education (teachers, parents, principals, Boards of education, districts, state legislators, and students) should be working together and sharing strategies. All schools are different, but they can learn from one another. This cooperation is what Obama should be rewarding.
[12] Matthews said merit pay and similar incentives can create a chilling effect. The president of WEAC, which represents the state's teachers, said she has other ideas. "We need to reward great performance, but I don't know that merit pay is the most effective way to do that," said Mary Bell, president of WEAC. "It's great leadership; it's good working conditions; it's having a professional development environment that makes them feel they are professionals and they are making a difference for kids. That's what rewards great teachers." On Thursday lawmakers will take up the education bills, but no matter what efforts come down to a vote, the president and all experts agree that every student needs their parents to support them.
[11] We're saying to states, if you are committed to real change in the way you educate your children, if you're willing to hold yourselves more accountable, and if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, then we'll offer you a big grant to help you make that plan a reality. Now, before a state is even eligible to compete, they'll have to take an important first step. This has caused some controversy in some places, but it shouldn't be controversial. Any state that has a so-called firewall law will have to remove them. Now, here's what a firewall law is: It basically says that you can't factor in the performance of students when you're evaluating teachers. That is not a good message in terms of accountability. We said, if you've got one of those laws, if you want to compete for these grants you got to get rid of that law.
[2] State and national workforce demands underscore the need for more students who are skilled in science, technology, engineering and math, Still said. This is unlikely to be accomplished by merely requiring an additional semester or year of instruction in Wisconsin public schools. It is more likely to be accomplished by relying on innovative public and private programs that engage students at critical points of development, he said. Initiatives such as Project Lead the Way, First Robotics, STEM Grants through the state Department of Public Instruction and the national STEM Equity Pipeline are examples.
[3] Schools are not factories nor are students manufactured. Teachers in Wisconsin -- and no other public employees, including school administrators -- have had their salaries capped by legislative fiat for the past 15 years. Teachers in Wisconsin are already teaching to those ridiculous tests, with predictable results. This measure, born of the desperation caused by huge state deficits, will only exascerbate the problem and throw teachers under the bus for what is essentially an overall legislative failure to address the state's fiscal problems, and in particular the issue of school finance.
[13] Obama noted that Wisconsin is a state that has a law prohibiting student achievement data to evaluate teacher performance, a law that makes the state ineligible for Race to the Top.
[9] Teachers unions are an influential segment of Obama's Democratic base. Obama is encouraging states to get their support; the Education Department says a state can win extra points in the "Race to the Top" if unions support their efforts.
[19] In federal terms, the $4 billion in Race to the Top funds is relatively small ''' especially compared with the other $95 billion for education, also included in the stimulus package, which went to more traditional expenditures like saving teacher jobs. The innovative design has given the money an outsize influence, say analysts ''' the promise of extra funds and the prestige that comes with it spurring states to demonstrate that they'''re worthy. '''This is very historic'''.
[18] States can't do that until the federal government releases the final applications for Race to the Top in a few weeks. "We're putting over $4 billion on the table four billion with a 'B' one of the largest investments that the federal government has ever made in education reform," he said. "But we're not just handing it out to states because they want it.
[9] He'''ll address education policy, with a focus on the '''Race to the Top''' initiative. That $4.35 billion dollar program, funded through the Recovery Act, is a national competition among the states, to inspire education reform. '''He'''s going to talk about his education reform plan and he'''s going to highlight the importance of innovation and excellence in our public education system,''' said Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, on a conference call with reporters, '''This competition is not based on politics or ideology or interest group preferences.
[34] 
While we still have a long way to go, we have made meaningful progress toward achieving that goal." The actions taken by his administration such as implementing a 787-billion-dollar stimulus plan and introducing tax cuts "contributed to the first quarter of economic growth that we've had as a nation in over a year." The second obligation was "to tackle problems that had been festering, that had been kicked down the road year after year, decade after decade." Issues such as health care reform, education reform and the need to battle global warming are on the top of Obama's agenda.
[33] "I think our hope here is that we need to push," said Sol Kelley-Jones, one demonstrator. "It is us who got Obama there and it is us as the people who will hold him accountable and hold him to really standing up and creating real change in this country." Most of the demonstrators were there hoping to remind the president of his promises to reform health care and education. Due to the highly secretive route of the presidential motorcade, they didn't get to actually see Obama.
[40] MADISON, Wis. This time last year, Galen Milchman was celebrating the election of Barack Obama to the White House, a victory he had worked for and believed would change the world. Today, the 19-year-old pizza deliveryman is wondering what happened to the transformation he thought would have come by now. "It's not all up to the president, I know that," he said. "But the Democrats are in control of the House and the Senate, and so we were going to get all this change. Where is it? It makes me feel very cynical." A year after hopeful liberals and young people demanding "change" helped Obama win the White House, some of them say they are feeling somewhat deflated. The universal health care they wanted isn't looking so universal. They haven't seen dramatic action to slow climate change. Instead of dialing down the U.S. commitment to war, they're hearing talk of escalation.
[42] MADISON, Wis. - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says President Barack Obama did not talk with him Wednesday about his decision whether to run for governor next year.
[27] MADISON - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he did not discuss the possibility of running for governor with President Barack Obama when the two spoke Wednesday. Barrett greeted President Obama when he arrived in Wisconsin at the Dane County Regional Airport.
[44] Barrett was even invited and acknowledged at President Obama's Wednesday visit to Madison. Wisconsin is a relatively small state and such friendships are always a good thing to have.
[45] Our state'''s efforts to transform public education complement the work of President Obama and Secretary Duncan at the national level. '''Our legislators need to use their political will and move quickly to pass legislation that really advances public education for the children of Wisconsin.
[40] President Obama sat down and talked with students in Wisconsin Wednesday. Then gave a speech outlining his goals for U.S. education.
[7] "Lifting up American education is not for government alone. It will take parents," Mr. Obama said. During his speech, the president outlined the steps schools must take in order to compete for "Race to the Top" funds in coming weeks.
[16] President Obama touted Race to the Top to the nation in a speech in Madison, Wis., Wednesday.
[18] MADISON, Wis. - President Barack Obama's visit to Wisconsin Wednesday will be the first stop in Madison by a sitting president in over a half century. The last presidential visit to the capital city was made by President Harry Truman in May 1950 when he delivered a speech at the UW Field House.
[46] MADISON, Wis. -- Security surrounding President Barack Obama's visit in Madison Wednesday was intense as local, state and federal officials pulled out all the stops for this historic visit. From the moment Air Force One touched down at the Dane County Regional Airport, law enforcement authorities had just one thing on their mind: Keeping the president safe.
[47] If you read to the end, you'll see that Duncan does have a sense of humor.) Photo: President Barack Obama walks with Education Secretary Arne Duncan down the steps of Air Force One upon their arrival at Dane County Regional Airport, in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 4.
[15] President Barack Obama is challenging the 50 U.S. states to reform their education systems.
[14] MADISON, Wisconsin — A year after his historic election President Barack Obama told Americans Wednesday he had saved the nation from economic ruin and launched sorely needed and far-reaching reforms.
[33] According to a recent Wisconsin Public Radio-St. Norbert College poll, 50 percent of Wisconsin residents approve of how Obama is handling the job. That's down about 10 points from a poll taken earlier this year. Wendy Scattergood, an assistant professor of political science at the college, said that sort of drop is common for presidents at this point in their terms. 'People usually have a dip after that first 100 days,' she said. Scattergood said her sense is Wisconsin are still 'holding their breath' on Obama's approval rating to see what happens with his presidency. Joe Heim, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said he thinks every president deserves a honeymoon period. 'Has (Obama) fulfilled his hope and change agenda? No,' Heim said.
[35] The first measure is whether a state is committed to setting higher standards and better assessments that prepare our children to succeed in the 21st century. I'm pleased to report that 48 states are now working to develop internationally competitive standards -- internationally competitive standards because these young people are going to be growing up in an international environment where they're competing not just against kids in Chicago or Los Angeles for jobs, but they're competing against folks in Beijing and Bangalore. This is something I called for earlier this year, and I want to commend the leadership of the governors and school chiefs who've joined together to get this done. Because of these efforts, there will be a set of common standards that any state can adopt, beginning early next year. I urge all our states to do so and to upgrade what's taught in the classroom accordingly to meet these international standards. I also challenge states to align their assessments with high standards -- because we should -- we should not just raise the bar, we should prepare our kids to meet it. There's no point in having really high standards but we're not doing what it takes to meet those standards.
[2] In some cases, people have seen schools as sort of a political spoil having to do with jobs and contracts instead of what we're teaching kids. This status quo has held back our children, it's held back our economy, and it's held back our country for too long. It's time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it. It's time to make education America's national mission. (Applause.) Now, I'm proud to say that thanks to one of the best secretaries of education America has ever had, Arne Duncan, who's here today -- stand up, Arne, so everybody can see -- (applause) -- thanks to Arne's passion and understanding of these issues and the ability to bring people together, that's exactly what we're going to do. We are making this America's national mission: improving our schools not in unrealistic ways, not in abstract ways, not in pie-in-the-sky ways -- in concrete ways we are putting our resources behind the kinds of reforms that are going to make a difference.
[2] We had an obligation to create a better health care system that works for our people, our businesses, and our government alike. (Applause.) That's why we've been pushing so hard on health care reform. That's why we took up the cause of a clean energy economy that will free America from the grip of foreign oil and generate millions of good-paying jobs in the process -- green jobs in retrofitting old buildings to make them more energy efficient, creating the batteries and other technologies needed for plug-in hybrids that can get 150 miles a gallon -- and will help to curb climate change. That's why we're taking up the cause that I'm here to talk about today, and that is offering the best possible education to America's sons and daughters. (Applause.)
[2] "I think we'd be foolish to turn down stimulus money," said Foth. "If we can improve student achievement through this money with better teacher training, that's wonderful. If it's going to hurt teachers that are doing a good job in spite of the fact that some of their students aren't going to succeed, it's really not fair." "I don't have a problem with a test score being used to evaluate a teacher as long as it's not the only piece of information that's used to evaluate a teacher," said Dave Harswick, president of the
Green Bay Education Association.
[43] The money will be awarded to states that do the best job of meeting accountability standards drawn up by the administration. For starters, any state that says teachers cannot be evaluated based on student performance must remove such "firewall laws" just to be eligible to apply for the federal money.
[1] "That state'''s legislature quickly acted to change its laws to qualify by allowing teacher pay to be linked to student performance." This is a huge deal - something of an only Nixon could go to China, or only Bill Clinton could sign welfare reform. This little sliver of the administration's efforts is something that honest conservatives can get behind (in the same way honest liberals could get behind Bush's AIDS initiative).
[34] When the parameters on the funding were first announced, several states were immediately identified as already out of the running because of existing state laws. California, that state'''s legislature quickly acted to change its laws to qualify by allowing teacher pay to be linked to student performance. Barnes said a number of other states, including Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island have raised their charter caps or defeated proposed cuts to charter school funding, so that they too can compete.
[34] The president fielded questions from the hand-picked group of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. The White House chose Wright School, which is one of two public charter schools in Madison, because of its diverse student body and innovative education practices, aides said.
[21] Local officials and other guests had waited in line for the invitation-only event, including the widow of the Rev. James Wright, for whom the middle school is named. "He would be honored. He wouldn't be flighty excited like I am," Jacqueline Wright said. Ahead of the president's speech about education, a group of 40 students were chosen for a private visit in the library where the President encouraged the youngsters to make the most of their education.
[40] "We had 150 Madison officers, approximately," said Madison Police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "All total, about 250 local law enforcement personnel were part of this." The law enforcement personnel helped with security at the airport to security at Wright Middle School, where the president gave his speech.
[47] Obama spoke at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison. He says the U.S. continues to trail other countries in a number of critical areas, like science and math and he says some schools are lowering standards when they should be raising them.
[7] "There is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation or the lives of our children more than the kind of education we provide them," Obama said while speaking at a Wisconsin middle school.
[48] At a middle school in the North Central state of Wisconsin, the president said some states, but not all, will have a chance to compete for the money.
[14] "OK, that was a rush," Godbolt said. Earlier at the protest site, Camila, the eighth-grader from Verona, thought she glimpsed the back of Obama's long black coat as he was whisked into the school. "He looked fly," she said. Katherine Jackson, a retired Madison firefighter, stood apart from the protesters to make sure her allegiance to the president was clear. "I'm not here with any of these crazy groups," she said. She saw only Obama's vehicle but went home pleased. "It was still a historic moment for me." State Journal reporter Sandy Cullen contributed to this report.
[41] Actually President Obama will be putting the spotlight on one of our public school success stories, staffed by hard working and well qualified teachers who deserve every penny they earn, and probably more.
[12] Lisa thinks the Wright School is great??? It is costing the tax payers a lot of money that is being taken away from the public schools and the other children. There is two sides to this voucher system, and the public school kids are paying the price for a few who parents don't show or make the kids behave or go to school unless they get special treatment. As for those who get the special school look at the percent who are minorities. The minotities get goverment housing, heat and lights special vouchers, then food stamp cards and yet the unemployed get what??? This is special treatment for the minorties and being pushed by the Obama group. Race problems are being created by this.
[12] Mr. Obama said that some failing schools will have to be closed. "There's always excuses for why these schools can't perform, but part of what we want is an environment in which everybody agrees. that's there's no excuse for mediocrity." Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz ''said that while his city doesn't face many of the challenges that plague Milwaukee Public Schools, the Race To The Top initiative can help.
[17] The controversial "Race to the Top" program offers one of the first glimpses into how far the Obama administration is willing to go to create reform. Through "Race to the Top," Duncan aims to prop up states that innovate and inspire those that have not.
[8] The program is a national competition among states that the Obama Administration hopes will inspire bold action for education reform.
[8] Barrett said Obama coming to Wisconsin demonstrates the federal administration's recognition that leaders in the state are working to improve education.
[20] Mark Block of New Berlin, state director of Americans for Prosperity, the group that hosted the Wisconsin tea parties, said later by phone that if Obama had been addressing health care or the cap-and-trade system of pollution credits, thousands of protesters would have flooded the area. "We don't have a big beef with him on education," Block said.
[41] "We have to face a hard truth here in Wisconsin that our achievement gap is among the worst in the nation." Without the stimulus money the state has already received, Wisconsin would have cut the state's education budget by 10 percent, he said. Those budgets are under pressure in every state, Obama aides acknowledged.
[10] Only some states, perhaps 10 to 20, will actually get the money. Obama will use the trip to Wisconsin to call attention to the actions states are taking, one year after his election, to put his vision of reform in place, Melody Barnes, Obama's domestic policy director, told reporters Tuesday.
[19] In places like New Haven, educators and city leaders have come together to find a smarter way to evaluate teachers and turn around low-performing schools. In states like California and Indiana and Wisconsin, you're seeing steps taken to remove these so-called firewall laws so we can have a clear look at how well our children are learning and what can be done to help them learn better.
[2] McCabe says even if the state approves the changes, the teachers union would still have to sign on. "If you look at what that really means to a school district of any size here in the valley or even Green Bay, it's about $80 million maybe for the whole state of Wisconsin.
[43] You take half of that and send it to Milwaukee, greater Milwaukee area, you may have $100,000 on average per school district. I'm not sure if it's worth all of this fuss," said McCabe. It appears there are not guarantees how much money, in any, the state would get if it changes the way teachers are evaluated.
[43] The association is an affiliate of the state teacher's union. "I'm hoping we're doing this for the right reasons," said Harswick. "My concern is that we make these changes and then we're told we don't have access to this money. I'm concerned with that when the secretary of education has said that only 10 or 20 states may have access to these dollars, and quite frankly you've got 50 states that are struggling to fund their public education systems, that bothers me too."
[43] Conrad P. Pritscher Phd. Obama's Education "reforms" have failed so badly in Chicago that Bill Gates yanked his sponsorship money BEFORE the project even finished it's test run. He appointed the educator who failed in this case, Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education. He's just continuing the failed Bush ideas that were designed to dumb-down the kids-and have worked marvelously at it. He's basically attacking the teachers union and taking the $for education and giving it to private corporations. At least those private corporations now donate to democrats.
[12] Obama's administration says it might require some schools to shut down or to replace at least half of the staff. Teachers unions have opposed such drastic steps. AP Education Writer Libby Quaid contributed to this report from Washington.
[30] Among the various reforms the administration is calling for: allowing student test results to be used to evaluate teachers, developing internationally-competitive education standards, and creating data systems to track students from pre-school through high school.
[21] '''A quality education with every child a graduate prepared for the workplace and further education lasts a lifetime. Wisconsin is raising academic standards, working to recruit and retain quality educators and school leaders, and advancing accountability that makes sense and respects students and their teachers.
[40] The Wisconsin Legislature is expected to pass a bill that will eliminate that firewall, as well as bills that would encourage higher standards for charter schools and allow for the sharing of student data between K-12 and post-secondary institutions. A proposed bill that would have given the state superintendent heightened powers to intervene in struggling schools did not receive the support of both houses.
[9] The ad says Wisconsin is still mired in 8.3% unemployment and that 70,000 jobs have been lost statewide since the bill was passed in February. Before his speech, Mr. Obama met with about 40 students in the school'''s library.
[21] In a telephone interview after the speech, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Obama came to Wisconsin "to highlight the opportunity Wisconsin has to break through" and to support initiatives put forward by Doyle. "Wisconsin is on the eve of a historic vote," he said. Duncan did not answer specifically when asked if the Legislature should include mayoral control in Milwaukee schools, but he said the situation in Milwaukee was troubled.
[9] "Milwaukee is one of the few cities in the country where the achievement gap is actually getting wider," Duncan said, referring to the performance disparity between white and African-American students. Obama also challenged parents in the room to support their children and get them to the point they can take charge of their own education. He relayed a personal story about his daughter Malia, a sixth-grader, who recently became depressed because of scoring a 73 on a science test.
[9] The state Assembly will review teacher performance as it relates to student test scores, and other education issues, Thursday.
[43] The national teachers unions disagree. They say student achievement is much more than a score on a standardized test and say it's a mistake to rely so heavily on charter schools. AP Education Writer Libby Quaid contributed to this report from Washington.
[10] "Despite growing evidence to the contrary, it appears the administration has decided that charter schools are the only answer to what ails America's public schools," the National Education Association, the largest teachers union, said in comments submitted to the Education Department.
[19] Wright Middle is a public charter school that partners with the University of Wisconsin at Madison on a teacher preparation program.
[28] Governor Jim Doyle and First Lady Jessica Doyle. Under heavy security, the motorcade began its undisclosed route toward Wright Middle School on Madison's South Side.
[40] Students at Wright Middle School heard the president tell them to study hard and work consistently. If they could have, they would have told him that they have a great school.
[37] A block or so from Wright Middle School, about 200 people gathered just beyond the police barricades to praise, cajole and - only occasionally - berate the president.
[41] As a by-product of Wednesday's Presidential visit, students at Wright Middle School Wednesday encountered protesters as they arrived at school, and many didn't like it.
[37] "Most of the people here love Obama," said Camila Ugalde, 13, a Verona eighth-grader who rallied with about 40 other students for a more liberal approach toward illegal immigrant students who attain college degrees. At the bottom of her poster encouraging a change in federal policy, she drew a heart and wrote Obama's name. Students said their parents had granted them the day off of school.
[41] About 100 demonstrators had gathered outside of the school. hoping to get the commander-in-chief's attention. Some of them voicing opposition to war. others in support of universal health care. "It is us who got Obama there, and it is us as the people who will hold him accountable and hold him to really standing up and creating real change in this country," one demonstrator said.
[40] "Election Day was a day of hope, it was a day of possibility, but it was also a sobering one because we knew even then that we faced an array of challenges that would test us as a country." Obama was swept to power on a promise of change just as the United States was confronting its worst economic crisis in decades, and with U.S. troops fighting two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His administration, sworn in after his inauguration on January 20, had "two fundamental obligations," the U.S. president said.
[33] In terms of the governor's race, Barrett on Tuesday brushed aside implications that there could be an underlying political motive in Obama's visit, related to the race for governor. "I can't believe that the president of the United States would be doing that over someone who hasn't decided what they're going to do yet," Barrett said.
[20] Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett met with White House Political Director Patrick Gaspard Wednesday during President Barack Obama's trip to Wisconsin, amid reports that the White House has been urging Barrett to run for governor in 2010.
[39] The White House intends to use the first anniversary of
President Obama???s election to showcase his education agenda.
[12] Mark Jefferson, the party's executive director, said Obama campaigned on not making government bigger, just making it work smarter. 'Then he turned around and quadrupled the deficit for 2009 right out of the gate,' Jefferson said. 'Beyond that he can't point to that many accomplishments. Obama's Madison remarks focused on his plans for education reform. He also recounted his first challenge in office. 'The first was to rescue the economy from imminent collapse,' he said.
[35] While reforming health care and creating a clean energy economy are two major platforms of Obama's administration, so is education reform.
[3] Barnes praised Wisconsin for moving aggressively on education reform modeled after a California plan. She says Mr. Obama will talk about the importance of innovation and excellence as part of his education reform plan.
[32] The President came to discuss a hot button topic -- education reform. His address before the group of students, parents, teachers, politicians and others had its lighter moments.
[40] Mr. Whitehurst of the Brookings Institution applauds the general guidelines in the reform, though he questions some of the particulars. '''It'''s been a mistake to ignore curriculum,''' he says. Evidence suggests a high-quality curriculum can make enormous difference in student achievement, he adds. Whitehurst also questions the decision to place so much emphasis on charter schools and on turning around failing schools, calling such strategies more '''hopeful''' than '''evidence-based.''' Be that as it may, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan '''today has more money at his disposal to bring about change than any secretary of education has ever had,''' says Jack Jennings, director of the Center on Education Policy in Washington.
[18] '''We'''re saying, if you'''re committed to real change in the way you educate your kids; if you'''re willing to hold yourselves more accountable; if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, we'''ll offer you a grant to help make that plan a reality,''' Obama said in his remarks.
[18] Obama spoke of strengthening America's education system through $4 billion in competitive grants to states in the coming weeks.
[49] We're putting over $4 billion on the table -- $4 billion with a "b" -- one of the largest investments that the federal government has ever made in education reform. We're not just handing it out to states because they want it.
[2] You'''re looking at a fundamental redefining of the federal role,''' says Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform. With the guidelines that the administration has set forward, he adds, '''there'''s an established criteria for what it means to be a reform-minded governor or an education leader''' The prestige is proving almost as valuable as the money.'''
[18] The Department of Education will begin accepting applications in the next few weeks, and awarding the money in January. There will be two rounds of funding, so states that do not qualify or win grants in this first round will be able to apply again later in 2010. '''Ultimately, this idea is really simple,''' Barnes said, '''We want to support strategies that are working and replicate them all over the country.
[34] In the next few weeks the
Department of Education will begin accepting applications for grant money. The awards will start to go out in January, but there will be two rounds of funding, so states that do not qualify or win grants in this first round will be able to apply again later in 2010. Yesterday the White House said the onus was on states to make the best case for why they deserve funding.
[8] State and local governments determine most education policies in the U.S., but the grant money is expected to give the White House increased influence.
[14] The White House offered no additional information about Barrett's conversation with Gaspard. During his address in Madison, which focused on education policy, Obama offered a prominent shout-out to Barrett, hailing him as "Milwaukee's outstanding mayor" and prompting Barrett to stand up and wave to the crowd.
[39] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently reported that the White House hoped Barrett, a former congressman, would enter the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat who also joined Obama in Madison. Last week, Democratic Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton announced she would not seek her party's nomination in next year's race, leaving a clear primary field for Barrett if he chooses to run.
[39] For others, just being anywhere in the vicinity seemed enough. "I'm surprised I got this close," said Victoria Gutierrez, who lives nearby and sat with her son, Julian, 3, eating Triscuits on a pedestrian bridge over Wingra Creek near the school. She had earlier e-mailed the White House, hoping to snag a ticket by mentioning that First Lady Michelle Obama had kissed her son's cheek during a campaign event last year.
[41] MADISON (WKOW) -- President Barack Obama's visit to Madison came on the first year anniversary of his election into office, which gives analysts reason to reflect on what he's done so far.
[50] MADISON ' One year after Barack Obama rolled to victory with on a message of hope and change, he rolled into a state facing hard realities.
[35] Obama says there will be a set of common assessment standards available to all states early next year, to "raise the bar" on educational achievement. "This is not just about more tests, because I know that in the past people have been concerned about, you know, is this about standardized tests, or are we going to have our young people being 'taught to the test.' That's the last thing we want," he said to applause.
[17] Maybe if teachers were better paid more people would go into teaching thus giving us enough skilled teachers to fill the need. Now, school distrits take what they can get due to lack of taleted teachers. Large classes in buildings that are falling apart, with theachers helping supply school supplies, obsolete text books what few there are of them and people expect those under paid teachers in such an environment to perform like super stars. Give them the pay and the tools they need. Restrict class sizes, in other words, give them ideal conditions and then see who does well and who fails as a teacher. Those who fail don't get a renewed contract those that do well continue to teach and, of course, get raises and promotions to principal etc. Tax cuts mean less revenue for states, less revenue that must be spread thin to cover federal mandates, and basic security needs for the states. That doesn't leave much for teachers.
[13] '''The president'''s visit also focuses attention on our national, state, and local efforts to change and renew our public schools to strive for the common good and transform for the better.
[40] We'll encourage states to take a better approach when it comes to charter schools and other innovative public schools. When these schools are performing poorly, they'll be shut down. When innovative public schools are succeeding, they shouldn't be stifled -- they should be supported. I'm proud to say that already a number of states have taken us up on this challenge.
[2] '''We are proud of the accomplishments of Wisconsin'''s public schools with nation-leading graduation rates and college entrance exam scores. We must ensure that our public schools deliver the opportunity for all our children to be the best they can be and to reach their goals. We owe this to children across our state whether they grow up in our urban, rural, or suburban communities.
[40] I'm absolutely confident that if we're all willing to come together and embrace that spirit -- in the living room, in the classroom, and the State House, on Capitol Hill -- then not only will we see our students reaching farther, not only will we see our schools performing better, not only are we going to help ensure our children outcompete workers abroad and that America outcompetes nations, but we're going to protect the dream of our founding and give all of our children, every last one of them, a fair chance and an equal start in the race to life. (Applause.)
[2] "I think there'll be tremendous pressure on states, state legislatures where things aren't happening, by parents saying exactly that: 'Our children deserve a slice of the pie, and we want that pressure,'" Duncan said in July. "This isn't about winners and losers. This is about challenging the status quo as a country, getting dramatically better and giving every child in this country a chance they desperately need to have a great, great quality education."
[8] "Lifting up American education is not a task for government alone, it will take parents getting more involved," says Obama. He says it's not just parents working with their kids. Educators also need to work with parents, and students need to also do their part.
[7] Lifting up American education is not a task for government alone. It will take parents getting more involved -- (applause) -- it will take parents getting more involved in their child's education. It will take schools doing more to reach out with parents. It will take students -- students -- accepting more responsibility for their own education. I was explaining to them that education is not saying where, you know, you just tilt your ear and you just pour it in your ear. (Laughter.)
[2] Parents should be more involved with education. That's why kids who listen or who have more discipline. have more success." "It's a really great honor to have him in our school. When he was talking about he didn't have a father and he got in trouble a lot in seventh and eighth grade. seeing how successful he got can lead me to great things." "It was really exciting. It was weird that he came to Madison, though. I thought he'd go to California or someplace like that.
[51] There was a time when if you just got a high school education and you were willing to work hard, you could get a job in a trade or in the factory that paid a middle-class wage. Those days are declining.
[2] We created or saved over one million jobs, including 4,000 education jobs right here in Wisconsin. We've taken steps to unlock our frozen credit markets so that the ordinary American can get the loan that he or she needs to buy a home or a car, to go to college or start a new business. We've enacted measures to stem the crisis in our housing market to help responsible homeowners stay in their homes and curb the decline of home values overall. All these things contributed to the first quarter of economic growth that we've had as a nation in over a year.
[2] Addressing the issue of teacher performance, the President said "we've got to do a better job recruiting and preparing new teachers. We've got to do a better job of rewarding outstanding teachers, and I've got to be honest we've got to do a better job of moving bad teachers out of the classroom, once they've been given an opportunity to do it right." Those comments drew sustained applause from the crowd.
[17] You've got to set a high bar in the household all across America. (Applause.) It will take teachers unions and parents and elected leaders working together as partners in common effort -- not seeing each other as antagonists, but all of us having the same goal. It will take each and every one of us doing our part on behalf of our children and our country and the future that we share. I'll never forget a moment many years ago -- this is long before I ran for President, before I ran for elected office.
[2] President Obama, who was elected to the Presidency a year ago, took a trip to the Midwest Wednesday, taking time out from talking about economic recovery to focus instead on the future of America's children.
[4] The Republican National Committee welcomed President Obama to Madison with a 60-second radio spot that blasts Obama's record on the economy and health care.
[35] When it came to President Obama and the Madison public Wednesday, the protesters were sometimes hard to distinguish from the supporters.
[41] President Obama's visit to Madison brings both positive and negative feelings.
[40] "There's no excuse for mediocrity and we'll take drastic steps when schools aren't working," says President Obama.
[7] Insiders say Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk is considering running for either Governor or Lieutenant Governor. She attended President Obama's speech and sat near Barrett.
[44] Priebus says the President likely raised the entire subject, to deflect attention from more concerning issues. "His agenda was, number one, to take the focus off of health care, the debt of this country, and the fact he just got clobbered yesterday in New Jersey of all places, and Virginia. He wants to talk about something else that is not so unpopular. I think he also was just making a set-up appearance for Tom Barrett, who is apparently going to be announcing for governor one of these days, so we're told," Priebus says.
[31] The other mayor in the house - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Barrett says the President did not talk to him about a possible run for governor. "This was an education visit. That's what the conversation was about," Barrett said.
[40] "No, we didn't talk about the governor's race at all," Barrett said. "We talked about education and that's what this was about. That was today's day was about education and frankly that's what it should have been about was education." Barrett did say he will make a decision about whether to run for governor soon.
[44] Now the race starts, and we're going to start seeing even more interesting changes at the local level. We'll take a hard look at states' applications to determine whether they measure up. We'll take a look at a state's track record to determine whether the steps they've taken have had real results when it comes to their students' education.
[2] Obama's Race to the Top grants will go to states that take a top-to-bottom approach to an overhaul.
[30] A race to the top has begun in our schools, but the real competition will begin when states apply for the actual Race to the Top grants.
[2] The program centers on four basic "assurances" that states must meet to qualify for a piece of the pie -- turning around low-performing schools, in part by expanding charter schools; enacting rigorous, common academic standards; improving teacher quality and beefing up state data systems. In July, Duncan told ABC News that while this program "isn't about winners and losers," it is a competition so some states will be left out in the cold. Duncan said he hoped that tapping into the competitive spirit of educators and administrators will drive reform.
[8] Designing rigorous standards and high-quality assessments by encouraging states to work jointly toward a system of common academic standards that builds toward college and career readiness, and that includes improved assessments designed to measure critical knowledge and higher-order thinking skills. Attracting and keeping great teachers and leaders in America's classrooms by expanding effective support to teachers and principals; reforming and improving teacher preparation; revising teacher evaluation, compensation, and retention policies to encourage and reward effectiveness; and working to ensure that our most talented teachers are placed in the schools and subjects where they are needed the most.
[3] There are much better ways to go about it, including national criteria and standards (not norms) of acceptable and expected growth or performance. In this way, states and schools don't continue to game a system they and we all know to be flawed.
[12] Wisconsin'''s state legislature will vote on Thursday on legislation similar to that adopted by California, which would allow students performance to impact teacher pay.
[34] Wisconsin lawmakers are working on a package of legislation designed to make sure the state qualifies for federal '''Race to the Top''' stimulus money, but the legislative session is due to end Thursday so it is crunch time.
[32] So one of the perennially top states in the country in ACT and SAT scores finally enters the dark ages. Well, I sure am glad my daughter has finished her time in school here and now lives in Minnesota, where there is still some sanity -- unless you count Michelle Bachmann, that is. Because this will only make things that are already bad that much worse.
[13] I could tell you what he's doing? He's bankrupting our country. raising money for his party. countless photo-ops. traveling around the world apologizing to people who hate us. trying to make friends instead of taking care of our economy. Countless daily guests. can't make decisions. lies thru his teeth. while school children are being brainwashed with songs praising him. Forgot to mention he hired 40 czars and thinks he knows it all. never ran a candy store. Got a nobel prize after 14 days in office from his socialist friends.
[42] 'President Obama promised that a massive increase in federal spending would help the economy and be good for jobs,' the ad intones.
[35] Diane wrote - "I'm thrilled that my grandchildren are able to enjoy the fact that our President is visiting Wisconsin." Obama Fan wrote - "My 5th grader is very aware of the economy and would be able to understand what he's talking about - and he (Obama) is showing respect by not talking down to them." Again, just a few of the more than 900 comments sent in during our "Report It Now" live event.
[26] The Korean War broke out just weeks after Truman's visit to Wisconsin. Obama, former presidents Bill Clinton, John Kennedy and other former chief executives have visited Madison, making campaign appearances, but not while they occupied the Oval Office.
[46] Wednesday, the ad ran only in the Madison media market but RNC spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said the ad would run in other Wisconsin media markets. The Republican Party of Wisconsin also blasted Obama before his visit.
[35] Allowing Wisconsin a louder voice nationwide can only help our state in the long run. Granted, Barrett's statewide appeal could be damaged by his completely urban background. The non-Milwaukee majority of the state holds several grudges against Milwaukee, though not as much hatred as held against Madison, with its latte-sipping, scarf-wearing elitists. Milwaukee, for all its troubles, receives an enormous amount of state and federal funding and attention.
[45] Barrett has already taken too long to announce. It is easy to speculate that political pressure and backroom deals were involved for him to enter as Lawton dropped out, but assuming that's not the case, it is completely unclear why Barrett is taking so long to formally decide. He is no longer at risk of offending friends, such as Rep. Ron Kind, who announced he would not run for governor weeks ago. Barrett is still known for his heroic response after being attacked by a violent father at the Wisconsin State Fair. Perhaps it is more tasteful for Barrett to wait for the visible bruises and gashes to heal up before thrusting himself into the state limelight, but he wouldn't be the first politician getting airtime off a heroic story.
[45] A candidate like Barrett, who has more spark than Doyle, could certainly do the same. First, if he finally decides to run, Barrett has to show his fire and enthusiasm. Barrett could bring a fresh face to state government and the practical realism he has earned since running Milwaukee. He just needs to grab the mantle and show people a Democrat really does want to be governor.
[45] Smaller towns can't help but feel disadvantaged in the rat race for government money. Milwaukee's negative, crime-ridden image could also hurt a Barrett campaign if he can't convince the state of his accomplishments. Barrett is working tirelessly to help his city, but he has one of the toughest mayoral jobs in the country.
[45] "The pipe line to the president is boxed in by two issues, healthcare and Afghanistan and everything else has to be on the back burner," Halperin says. Halperin also says he was surprised at how much the economy has consumed the president's time, but added that he has been doing a good job so far stabilizing the financial system, pumping in stimulus money and creating a sense of confidence.
[50] The work continues. We're moving in the right direction, and we are going to keep on fulfilling our obligation to do every single thing we possibly can to pull this economy out of the ditch and to make sure that people can find jobs that pay good wages. That's our top priority. (Applause.) That was the rescue part of our job, just solving the immediate crisis. We also came into office with another goal, another obligation -- not simply to do what needed to be done to deal with an emergency crisis, but to make those long-term investments necessary to build our economy stronger than before. It was an obligation to tackle problems that had been festering, problems that had been kicked down the road year after year, decade after decade; problems that have to be overcome for America to move forward. We were just papering them over.
[2] "The work continues, but we're moving in the right direction," Obama said. The second obligation, he said, is making "long-term investments" needed to rebuild the economy stronger than ever. That includes health care,''''energy development and -- the main topic of this speech -- improved education.
[29] In speech Wednesday, Obama touts his $4.35 billion bid to reshape education in America.
[18] One major proposal, to give the mayor control of Milwaukee schools, is not up for a vote. Obama did not mention the Milwaukee schools issue during his 35-minute speech.
[7] Let's urge the Obama administration to mend existing policies and create new policies which are a little more rational. Ideally, this would mean the conversation is guided by educational measurement professionals rather than policy makers who think that because they went to school they understand learning and how to improve it.
[12] When schools are failing, "they should be shut down," Obama said. "But when innovative public schools are succeeding, they shouldn't be stifled, they should be supported."
[6] Instead of coming together to solve them, we've let partisanship and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. (Applause.) It's been Democrat versus Republican -- it's been Democrat versus Republican, it's been voucher versus public schools, it's been more money versus more reform.
[2] "We've let partisanship and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. It's been Democrat vs. Republican; it's been voucher vs. public schools; it's been more money vs. more reform," Mr. Obama said.
[1] How much did this cost for 200 people to'see' and 'talk' to Obama? Doesn't he have anything better to do? What a waste of time, money and space. [40] The last time Obama was here -- as a presidential candidate -- Madison police spent $15,000 on overtime for security. DeSpain said security was even tighter this time around, and he expects the cost from Wednesday's visit will be much higher.
[47] The last time a sitting president visited Madison was when Harry Truman spoke here in 1950 -- meant street closings around the school at 10 a.m. and a wall of massive, brown bomb-deterring security trucks surrounding the locked-down school.
[23] A spokeswoman for the mayor, Jodie Tabak, just told me Barrett will attend the president's speech in Madison, but "one-on-one time has not been pre-arranged."
[20] One group passed the time by playing a math game, 24, with 8th grade math teacher Barbie Pietz. Others simply waited patiently for the president, who arrived before a hushed crowd at 1:25 p.m. '''This is a culminating event for them,''' Wright librarian Amy Owens said of the visit. '''They followed the election last year and have been following his career. This will be something they'''ll never forget.
[23] Long time political journalist and Time Magazine writer Mark Halperin reflected on Obama's young presidency at a lecture sponsored by the UW Journalism Department. He said although President Obama has restored America's reputation overseas, he has failed to make relationships with foreign leaders to get things done.
[50] The GOP racks up major wins in Virginia and New Jersey. President Obama is navigating his own contradictions.
[39] 'But here's the point. She said, 'I just like having knowledge',' the president said. Obama used the occasion to repeat his oft-expressed challenge to parents to sit down with their children and make sure they do their homework.
[25] Everyone seemed truly honored to have "our" president visit them--all the way down from the TV announcers to the school principal, to the governor, to the enthusiastic, squealing children. He was treated with very, very, very great (and deserved) respect.
[20] Part of what we want is an environment in which everybody agrees -- from the governor to the school superintendent, teachers, principals, and most importantly parents and students -- that there's no excuse for mediocrity.
[2] Schools are not factories nor are students manufactured. If teacher pay is tied to student performance, wouldn't the teachers all want to teach in high performing schools? What then, would happen to the schools that were not highly performing? Might there be a shortage of teachers in those schools? Judy in AZ (Sent Wednesday, November 04, 2009 9:27 AM) Judy, you make a good point.
[13] Under the draft criteria for the competition, states must not prohibit the use of student achievement data in evaluating teacher performance.
[12] At the state level, unions have made deals with lawmakers on test scores. In Wisconsin, the state teachers union agreed that test scores could be used to evaluate teachers — as long as they couldn't be used to fire or discipline teachers.
[19] Right now standardized student test scores do not impact teacher evaluations, but to get federal money, test scores would need to be considered.
[43] WEAC supports new legislation allowing test scores to be part of teacher performance evaluation if teachers are not fired or disciplined based on performance. Critics said that if the system doesn't go both ways, good and bad, it can't work.
[11] Across the country, different groups are coming together to bring about change in our schools -- teachers unions and parents groups, businesses and community organizations. [2] The fact is teachers suffer high burnout rates particularly at the tough schools (not exactly a shocker) and I'm not sure an improved salary will change that.
[34] I would like to see more talk about students noticing their present experience.Support for spending time on a student observing his or her present experience is given in The Mind And The Brain, Jeffrey M. Schwartz, and Sharon Begley ( also in her) Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain. They say: '''Through mindfulness you can stand outside your own mind is if you are watching what is happening to another person rather than experiencing it herself'''.Mindfulness requires direct willful effort, and the ability to forge those practicing it to observe their sensations and thoughts with a calm clarity of an external witness'''.One views his thoughts, feelings, and expectations much as a scientist views experimental data - - that is, as a natural phenomena to be noted, investigated, reflected on and learned from. Viewing one'''s own inner experience as data allows (one) to become, in essence, his or own experimental subject.''' Schools lack ths focus and much more time could profiably be given to considering this.
[12] Margaret McMurray, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction consultant for charter schools, sees the initiative as on target. '''Student achievement,''' she said, '''must be the basis of everything we do in education.'''
[23] The bills in front of the legislature represent good education policy and will provide the state explicit authority to turn around struggling schools.
[40] In particular, we'll take a look at how states are doing when it comes to four key measures of reform. I want to get into some details about this because I want you, as parents, as well as the educators, to understand what the data and the science and the studies and the research show actually make a big difference in terms of school improvement -- because that's what we are basing this stuff on. We didn't just kind of make it up, didn't just do it because it sounded good, this is what the research shows is really going to make a difference.
[2] A visit by the president of the United States provides students, educators, and parents with memories and inspiration for a lifetime.
[40] In the same poll, Walker posted a 25-point lead over Neumann in a prospective GOP primary. Barrett tamped down speculation that the president's visit this week was designed in part to court him for a statewide campaign, telling the Journal Sentinel: "I can't believe that the president of the United States would be doing that over someone who hasn't decided what they're going to do yet."
[39] Barrett plans to speak with Milwaukee media about Obama's remarks after the president departs.
[20] Several opponents of legalized abortion also turned out to rip the president, but others rallied in support of a public health care option or simply wanted to glimpse Obama.
[41] "I did the Pledge of Allegiance and Barack Obama was coming to the school, so I decided I should get a suit. The most memorable thing was when he was specifically talking to us. It made us feel like we had responsibilities to take care of (and) to be successful."
[51] "I expected more of a formal thing. I thought he'd make you feel uncomfortable - that's how I feel about important people - but he just turned out to be more down to earth. "It was pretty cool because he (Obama) could see the people of Madison, how much they care. It was a really great experience." "I thought it was great to hear him talk. It made me think about myself - not to get good grades for my parents, but for myself."
[51] The President came to talk about education policy but left many people with memories to last a lifetime. It has been almost 60 years since a sitting president visited the capital city.
[40] The majority of the small, peaceful crowd gathered outside the school were actually supporters of the President. They told us they wanted to show their support, but also wanted to hold the president accountable for his campaign promises leading up to last year's election.
[40] The only way you do it is if you're succeeding here in school," the President told the group.
[40] '''If you'''re committed to real change in the way you educate your children, if you'''re willing to hold yourselves more accountable ''' we'''ll offer you a grant to help make that plan a reality,''' said the president.
[21] Adam Nagourney takes a look at the new landscape in the aftermath of Tuesday's off-year results. The president reveals that his 11-year-old daughter studied hard to raise her science scores from a 73 to a 95, in a bit of a rare glimpse into the First children's lives. Bloggers writing off the 23rd District of New York -- from within its boundaries -- offer a few lessons about their views on the race -- and opinions at large.
[12] "We're going to protect the dream of our founders, and give all of our children, every last one of them, a fair chance and an equal start in the race to life," the President said. Whether it was the actual conversation with the crowd. or simply seeing the President in person, his message seemed to resonate with the young minds before him. "I felt like he really cared about us.
[40] With the backing of Congress, the president announced a $4 billion "Race to the Top" initiative.
[5] While Obama'''s visit here was inspirational, UW-Madison educational policy doctoral student Beth Sandel said she'''s concerned about Obama'''s
Race to the Top initiative because it '''focuses on data.'''
[23] Many students wore white T-shirts printed with Obama'''s name, image and the slogan '''Doing tings the Wright way''' in royal purple.
[23] I guarantee that ALL students, smart and not so smart will benefit greatly by the info of the first referral ! Please, I beg you, for all our youngsters, get with it !!! Successful methods and systems are available ! If had my way, I would put ALL of the federal $on the info of my above suggestions.
[12] The federal government has set aside $4 billion in grants for schools that meet certain criteria.
[16] State lawmakers are looking at reforms to improve the state's chances of for the $4.5 billion dollars.
[7] Only some states, perhaps 10 to 20, will actually get the money. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, said his state needs to compete for those grants.
[10] Wisconsin lawmakers are scheduled to pass a series of bills on Thursday to put the state in position to qualify and compete for the money.
[7] A lower profile but more rural candidate would be even more effective in the number two spot, convincing Wisconsin voters that a Barrett administration would work for all parts of the state.
[45] The move, made possible by Doyle, would be of serious political significance for Barrett. His image would be heavily tied to MPS. To balance out his background and increase his statewide popularity, Barrett will have to run with a rural Lieutenant Governor candidate. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach may be a Madison liberal in his politics, but his persona could help balance out Barrett's city background.
[45] Eighty-six percent of the school's 249 students are considered low-income (the highest school poverty rate in Madison), 22% have disabilities, and 39% are English language learners, according to the White House. [21] The White House also wants improvements in the quality of testing, in helping struggling schools and in retaining quality teachers.
[1] Americorp does a pretty good job getting young teachers to start in such schools and populations. It may, but that isn't enough.
[34] There has to be incentive to stay, and better salaries in better schools could cause disincentives. It isn't good enough to have tough schools be just revolving doors for young teachers.
[34] We have to have a lot of parent involvement; we have to have parents know what's going on at school; we have to have parents coming in and working with teachers on goal setting," Matthews said.
[11] The four assurances are improving standards and assessments, teacher quality, data collection, and turning around low-performing schools.
[15] '''The conversation has shifted to charter schools, data systems, tying pay to performance, and common standards.
[18] States like Delaware and Louisiana, Tennessee and Illinois are all making efforts to let innovative charter schools flourish.
[2] The United States, a nation that has always led the way in innovation, is now being outpaced in math and science education. A handful of states have even gone in the wrong direction, lowering their standards at the very moment that they should be raising them.
[2] The federal secretary of education says 10 to 20 states will likely get the federal education funding.
[43] I am sure that there will be some, many ?, goofy ideas which may very well be financed by the state governments. I guess we will have to live with such 'baloney'. BUT in the meantime, there are already all the ideas needed for certain success, if only the good folks would lay down their biases and get serious about moving forward with proven educational ideas and methods. I have personaly seen some of them in action over the past years. For all those who may be seriously interested in putting all that federal money to its' best use, I strongly recommend putting bias aside and read/study The Technology of Teaching.
[12] Nine other states have taken similar steps, even though states can't apply for the money yet and only a few states may end up getting grants.
[19] The president says some states are moving in the wrong direction, endangering the country's economic competitiveness.
[14] The United States has what Duncan calls a "stubbornly high" dropout rate. At this time, the U.S. has about a 30 percent dropout rate, which equals roughly just over a million students not graduating.
[4] Rob Hernandez of the Wisconsin State Journal and Dennis Semrau of The Capital Times offer football fans a preview of the WIAA Level 2 playoff games, which are slated for Saturday.
[37] State Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs commented to another officer how the kids were '''really keeping it together,''' during the long wait. '''These are the most well behaved young people I'''ve seen in a long time.'''
[23] Halperin says Obama hasn't been doing a good job getting people from either sides of the aisle to see eye to eye. He says that's necessary, especially if he wants to get a healthcare plan passed.
[50] The White House says the Recovery Act has helped create or save 250,000 education jobs nationwide, including nearly 4,000 in Wisconsin.
[21] Four out of every 10 new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training within the next decade.
[2] In the 21st century, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, there is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation and the lives our children will lead more than the kind of education that we provide them, Obama said.Nothing is more important. [3] 'Some of us get impatient, would like to seem him do more, sooner,' said Risser, who has been in the Legislature since 1956. Several of those attending the Madison event said they thought Obama is doing his best. 'He's got a hard job'it's hard to please everyone,' said Diana Moss, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from Spooner.
[35] The largest contingent, a coalition of peace activists, numbered around 80 and included Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine. He told protesters they were probably "feeling a little torn" about their presence, but that it was important to stand against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan regardless of the party in power. Opponents of the federal stimulus package and other Obama spending initiatives took a pass, save for Steve McConkey of Madison, who wondered why his fellow tea party protesters didn't show. He stood alone with his "No Big Government" sign.
[41] Well, it's good to see that Obama is taking the LONNNNNNNNNNNG term view of our problems. By the time those kids have graduated from high-school no, college maybe they can help him and the Democrats come up with solutions with our CURRENT economic mess. Don't rush him. He hasn't been in office very long, and we need to give him time to work out those complicated problems left from the Bush administration.
[12] '''Most of what the administration is going to get it will get before the competition is actually completed.''' Obama highlighted these changes Wednesday.
[18] Traveling with Obama aboard Air Force One, Duncan said the grants have helped to bring about change quickly.
[10] Preibus referring to New Jersey's election, in which Obama has campaigned heavily for Governor Jon Corzine, but the Democrat was ousted by voters who opted for the GOP candidate. The same is true for Virginia.
[24] New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine lost Tuesday's election, despite campaign visits by Obama as recently as Sunday to try boost Corzine's chances.
[38] Barrett is also poised to assume mayoral control of the ailing Milwaukee Public Schools, as New York and Chicago's notoriously powerful mayors Bloomberg and Daley have done. [45] The general public was excluded from the school speech, so the closest gathering spot was the intersection of Fish Hatchery Road and Wingra Drive where the protesters and others gathered.
[41] It is also a magnet school, drawing students from around the city. The combination of it's origin in community activism and as a long-desired community focal point and it's emphasis on specialized academic programs give it a unique character. It's only been operating since 1998 (to the best of my memory), so it's hard to know how it is working out for the students in the long run, but I've had no cause to regret voting for the various referendums over the years to build, equip and support it.
[12] We used to rank number one in the number of college graduates and advanced degrees. That's not the case anymore. African American and Latino students continue to lag behind their white classmates -- an achievement gap that will ultimately cost us hundreds of billions of dollars because that's our future workforce. Of course, these problems aren't new. We've heard about them for years.
[2] Besides high student performance standards based on strict educational curricula we need a nonacademic career-based track for the nonachievers.
[12] I seriously question the ethics of tieing teacher pay to student performance.
[13] I would rather have teacher pay linked to teacher performance. There are so many things beyond our control. lack of adequate lab equipment, lack of parental support, and believe it or not, some students resist efforts to reach them. I have no problem with pay being tied to performance, but it should be on MY performance. something I have control over. not on student performance. a system like that would chase the best teachers out of the toughest districts. the ones where they are needed most. MAYBE tying teacher compensation to student performance MIGHT make a little sense. but with things as they are.
[34] Groups of protestors with causes from ending the war to opposing abortion to universal health care gathered on Wingra Drive at Fish Hatchery Road, shouting at each other across the blocked street entrance. After emptying their pockets, having possessions sniffed by a trained dog, and being screened by a metal scanner, students and invited guests, including the press, waited two-plus hours for the president to arrive.
[23] Near the Dane County airport, crowds of hundreds lined up to see the President pass by. It was difficult to make sure passerby's saw the Presidential motorcade - many people waiting near Highway 51 near Madison College missed seeing the motorcade- it went another way.
[52] For the second time, the president had a little trouble with the name of Madison's Mayor.
[40] With an urban-centric president in office, it can't hurt Wisconsin to have a likeminded governor from a city background. [45] If Wisconsin wants to even try to get some of that money it has to change how it evaluates teachers.
[43] Real change would require cutting public employee unions out of the education business.
[12] To Mr. Jennings, the priorities that Race to the Top emphasizes seem aligned with where school reform is headed. '''This is the next wave of school reform, and it'''s eclipsing No Child Left Behind,''' Jennings says.
[18] In the coming weeks, states will be able to compete for what we're calling a Race to the Top award.
[2] I was incorrect when I stated above that it is an elementary school, though. It's actually a middle school.
[12] There is debate about the best way to reward, retain and motivate teachers. John Matthews, executive director of Madison Teachers Inc., the teachers union, said that when it comes to the idea of performance-based pay -- sometimes called merit pay -- he's far from sold.
[11] SOURCES1.
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Race to the Top:On Madison visit, Obama says the U.S. needs greater emphasis on math and science education (WTN News)4.
» Race to the Top and Higher Goals Row 2, Seat 4 « FOXNews.com5.
President Obama Launches Education "Race to the Top" in Madison - WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News:6.
Obama calls for end of 'firewall' rules that shield teachers -- latimes.com7.
President Obama visits Wisconsin to talk education8.
President Obama Touts Education Reform on Anniversary of Election - ABC News9.
Obama pushes education reforms -- chicagotribune.com10.
The Associated Press: Obama offers schools money for backing initiatives11.
Teachers Respond To Obama's Education Plans - Education News Story - WISC Madison12.
Obama Puts Spotlight on Education Grants - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com13.
Obama agenda: Heading to Wisconsin - First Read - msnbc.com14.
VOA News - Obama Challenges States To Overhaul Schools15.
Politics K-12: Obama in WI: 'Now the Race Starts'16.
WUWM: News - Obama Pushes Education Reform in Madison17.
Obama challenges states: compete for education dollars18.
Schools sprinting to win Obama's Race to the Top billions | csmonitor.com19.
The Associated Press: Obama coaxes states to change with school dollars20.
About that Wisconsin trip - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com21.
POTUS tells Wisconsin: "It'''s Time to Make Education America'''s National Mission''' - Political Punch22.
The Associated Press: Obama speaks at WI school, hosts music event23.
An inside look at the Obama visit to Madison - Isthmus | The Daily Page24.
GOP: Obama visits Madison to save sinking ship25.
Obama holds own kids to high standards at school - Monsters and Critics26.
Report It Now: Popular during Obama's visit - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports27.
Milwaukee mayor joins Obama at speech in Madison -- chicagotribune.com28.
Obama spends election anniversary talking education - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency29.
Obama: One year on from 'a day of hope' - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency30.
The Associated Press: Obama coaxes states to change with school dollars31.
WUWM: News - State GOP Reacts to President's Visit32.
» Looking Ahead: President Heads to Wisconsin Wednesday to Talk Education Row 2, Seat 4 « FOXNews.com33.
AFP: A year on, Obama says he staved off economic ruin34.
President Obama to Push Race to the Top - Political Punch35.
Is President Obama's message of hope fading in Wisconsin? Depends on whom you ask | greenbaypressgazette.com | Green Bay Press-Gazette36.
Anti-war protester gather before Obama event -- chicagotribune.com37.
Vmix : The President in Madison38.
President's visit and Wisconsin governor's race - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports39.
Gaspard, Barrett meet amid 2010 buzz - Alexander Burns and Carol E. Lee - POLITICO.com40.
UPDATE: Reaction to the Presidential Visit and Speech41.
Protesters hard to distinguish from supporters at Obama visit42.
Obama backers ask: Where is change? -- baltimoresun.com43.
Multiple views of "Race to the Top"44.
Barrett: No Decision on Governor's Race | Today's TMJ4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin News, Weather, Sports, WTMJ | Local News45.
The Daily Cardinal - Barrett needs to join race46.
Last Madison presidential visit in 1950 -- chicagotribune.com47.
Intense Security Measures Accompany Presidential Visit - Madison News Story - WISC Madison48.
Obama speech ties federal grants to school overhauls | Nation | Star-Telegram.com49.
President Obama Speaks to Invited Guests in Madison, Wisconsin.50.
Analysts breakdown Obama's young presidency - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports51.
Wright Middle School students express their views on Obama's visit52.
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