WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama started the school week yesterday with a call for a longer school year, and said the worst-performing teachers have “got to go” if they don’t improve quickly.
Bemoaning America’s decreasing global educational competitiveness, Obama sought in a nationally broadcast interview to reinvigorate his education agenda.
At the same time, the president acknowledged that many poor schools did not have the money they needed and he defended federal aid for them.
But Obama also said that money alone would not fix the problems in public schools, saying higher standards must be set and achieved by students and teachers alike.
Asked in an interview if he supported a year-round school year, Obama said: “The idea of a longer school year, I think, makes sense.”
He did not specify how long that school year should be but said United States students attended classes, on average, about a month less than children in most other advanced countries.
“That month makes a difference,” the president said.
“It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer. It’s especially severe for poorer kids who may not see as many books in the house during the summers, aren’t getting as many educational opportunities, he said.” (AP)
