Yesterday in Madison, Wisconsin, the President appeared with Education Secretary Arne Duncan to report on the progress states are making as they undertake reforms that are necessary to qualify for the Race to the Top program. They spoke to 250 students and others at Wright Middle School when the President shared an unplanned story about his daughter’s science test score which led to her acknowledgement that she needed to change her study habits so that she would master the subjects, not just retain a minimal amount of material to pass a test.

The President pressed this point again as he explained the criteria for Race to the Top and emphasized that student assessments had to measure knowledge and progress. “So we’re not just interested in can they fill out a bubble,” he said. “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.” Standards and assessments are the first criteria of Race to the Top.

In addition, 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.” The Austin school district was given as an example by Secretary Duncan. When Lanier High School teacher Matthew Ryniker tested his Algebra II classes on quadratic formulas, none of the students passed. After devising a strategy to improve and measure progress, Mr. Ryniker’s students improved their scores by as much as 80 percent, qualifying Ryniker for a $3,000 bonus. In addition, Lanier High School is a high needs school, which qualifies Ryniker for another $1,000 bonus if he continues teaching there. This is another criteria for Race to the Top, transforming the lowest-performing schools and devising strategies that could include anything from implementing a “new way of teaching,” to “replacing a school’s principal” or even to “close a school for a time and then reopen it under new management”.

Finally, the President said states must implement a strategy for “tracking the progress of our students and teachers to make sure every child graduates ready for college and a career.” Ultimately, according to the President, nothing is more important to the country than 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 and the lives our children will lead more than the kind of education that we provide them.”

Full Text President’s Education Speech Wisconsin

President’s Remarks To Students

This entry was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 1:48 am and is filed under Administration, Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.