Obama previews No Child Left Behind overhaul in address

Mar 13, 2010 — The Hill

Walter Alarkon

President Barack Obama said it will be his administration's goal to have all high school students graduate "prepared for college and a career."

Obama, in his weekly address, said the ambitious goal will be part of his proposed overhaul of the No Child Left Behind act, which he will unveil Monday.

"Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down," Obama said. "For the majority of schools that fall in between – schools that do well but could do better – we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st century."

A key to the overhaul will be teacher accountability.

"In short, we’ll treat the people who educate our sons and daughters like the professionals they are," Obama said.

Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan in recent weeks have clashed with unions over teachers in struggling school districts. The president and Duncan separately praised the decision by a Rhode Island school district whose students were performing poorly to fire all 70 of its teachers after they had rejected reforms. Teachers unions have blasted the president for siding with the mass firing.

Obama said in his weekly address that his proposed changes to No Child Left Behind "set a high bar, but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it."