Jeb Bush Talks Political Food Fights and Obama's Education Plan

It heartens me when I hear republicans speaking in a rational manner, even though I don't agree with republican philosophy--business knows best, tax cuts for the rich. The facts are we'll always have republicans leading and it's a comfort if they're not Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle or Carl Paladino types.

Obama on Education Reform on Today Show Video Sept. 27

Obama advocates for more math and science teachers, better teachers, firing bad teachers and a longer school year, among other reforms.

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President Obama Announces Goal of Recruiting 10,000 STEM Teachers Over the Next Two Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Barack Obama announced a new goal of recruiting 10,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers over the next two years. This announcement will move the country forward on the Obama Administration’s ambitious goal of preparing 100,000 STEM teachers over the next decade.

Statement by President Obama: “When I came into office, I set a goal of moving our nation from the middle to the top of the pack in math and science education. Strengthening STEM education is vital to preparing our students to compete in the 21st century economy and we need to recruit and train math and science teachers to support our nation’s students.”

As America’s students lag in math and science when compared to peers around the world, President Obama has made improving STEM education one of his top priorities. President Obama has identified three overarching priorities for STEM education, necessary for laying a new foundation for America’s future prosperity:

Increasing STEM literacy so all students can think critically in science, math, engineering and technology;
Improving the quality of math and science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by those in other nations;
And expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities.

Davis Guggenheim on his movie "Waiting for Superman:"

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Obama's Speech in Wisconsin Nov. 4

Full speech:

Obama on Education in Norfolk Video

Obama Needs to Fire Teachers Union

I know the mighty teachers' union can't be fired but they ought to be.
The teachers union allows a lot of lousy teachers to keep working. Teaching is arguably the most important profession. They're feeding the minds of our children and if you look at poor geographic areas and even in certain neighborhoods within any city, they're not feeding them very well. 
No doubt, teachers need to be paid more money -- but only the good ones.

Obama could better explain how he's going to improve education, how is he going to take on the teachers' union. 

Newsweek: But with the general election underway, Barack Obama has a chance to show that he can move at least as far toward real change in education as John McCain. Obama deserves kudos for drawing scattered boos earlier this month for mentioning charter schools when appearing via satellite before the National Education Association. (He was expected to be received more politely by the other big union, the American Federation of Teachers, at its convention last weekend.) But that was just a baby step. Now Obama needs to embrace a Grand Education Bargain—much higher pay for teachers in exchange for much more accountability for performance in the classroom. Good teachers need to be rewarded with more pay and respect for being members of our noblest profession. They need more resources. But they also need to be removed from the classroom when they fail to improve. Obama occasionally says as much, but goes fuzzy when it comes to how.

Superdelegate Rasmussen Endorses Obama

44 to go.

Gail Rasmussen has become Oregon's third Democratic superdelegate in two days to come out in support of Barack Obama.
Obama beat Hillary Rodham Clinton by 18 percentage points in last week's Oregon primary, and the Democratic National Committee member cited that win in explaining why she will vote for the Illinois senator at the party's national convention in Denver this summer.

obama speaking on education reform in colorado