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 Obama Makes Education Reform a National Priority
In his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, President Barack Obama said that long-term investments in education, health care and energy were vital to the nation's economic recovery.
Obama said that there is an "urgent need to expand the promise of education in America."
"In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a pre-requisite," he said. "That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education, from the day they are born to the day they begin a career. That is a promise we have to make to the children of America."
He said that through the stimulus plan, we have already expanded early childhood education, have made college affordable for nearly 7 million more students, and provided the resources necessary to prevent cuts and teacher layoffs .
He said that the budget allows for further education reform, including new incentives for teacher performance, pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. "We'll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we will expand our commitment to charter schools," he said. "It is our responsibility as lawmakers and as educators to make this system work, but it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it."
He called upon all Americans to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. To offset the cost of tuition, he said, "If you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education."
Obama also spoke of his plans to cut the national deficit in half within four years. He plans to cut taxes, help homeowners, reform medical care and explore alternative energy sources. For a complete transcript of his speech, visit the New York Times Web site at www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24obama-text.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1
Arkansans in Congress responded positively to Obama's speech. To learn more about the Congressmen's views, visit the Today's THV Web site at www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=80676&catid=2
AEA Seeks Sponsors for FOI Act Bill Concerning Ethics
AEA is seeking legislative sponsors for its proposed bill, which would exempt education employees from the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act under certain conditions.
This bill would exempt the following items from the FOI Act:
- All records, hearings, meetings and deliberations pertaining to an ethics complaint against an administrator or teacher.
- All records, hearings, meetings and deliberations pertaining to an ethics complaint that falls within the definition of child maltreatment under the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act.
We will provide regular updates on the progress of this bill.
AEA Finalizes Amendments to Fair Hearing Act
The AEA is finalizing its amendments to the Public School Employee Fair Hearing Act for Classified or Education Support Professional Employees.
The proposed amendments are to:
- Raise the standard for termination and nonrenewal of a non-probationary classified or education support professional employee contract,
- Require that a record of the termination or nonrenewal hearing will be maintained by the school district,
- Require annual written evaluations,
- Require school districts to maintain a personnel file for each classified employee, and
- Improve the requirements for the written notice of termination and nonrenewal.
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Together we can, and together we will build a great public school for every child.
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