President Obama Realizes Throwing Money At Education Isn't Best Solution

[Conan71]

Someone seems to understand the problem runs deeper than a lack of money in our nation's schools.  President Obama says unions need to start thinking differently and quit being as protective of their low-hanging fruit so we have room for better teachers.  I applaud him for his comments, he's right, money won't solve all the problems with public education. 

One thing I don't hear him saying though is how important parental involvement is in the education equation.  I don't seem hear as much of in the Democratic rhetoric these days about personal accountability.  Is there a reason why Democrats seem to recoil when traditional families and traditional family values should be discussed?

"President Barack Obama started the school week Monday 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 don't have the money they need and he defended federal aid for them. But Obama also said that money alone won't fix the problems in public schools, saying higher standards must be set and achieved by students and teachers alike...

...Separately Monday, Obama announced a goal of recruiting 10,000 teachers who work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math — over the next two years. In a statement, Obama said such education is vital to allowing students to compete against their peers in today's economy.

In the interview, the president said he wants to work with teachers unions, and he embraced the role they play in defending their members. But he said that unions cannot and should not defend a status quo in which one-third of children are dropping out. He challenged them not to be resistant to change.

And the president endorsed the firing of teachers who, once given the chance and the training to improve, are still not serving students well."

[guido911]

Here's another article re: education, specific to D.C. He was asked about his kids' $31K private education and whether those kids in public schools are getting the same quality:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/27/AR2010092701766.html?hpid=dynamiclead

[RecycleMichael]

One thing I don't hear him saying though is how important parental involvement is in the education equation.  I don't seem hear as much of in the Democratic rhetoric these days about personal accountability.  Is there a reason why Democrats seem to recoil when traditional families and traditional family values should be discussed?

How did you make the leap from parental involvement in education to a smack against democrats not discussing "traditional family values" (whatever the hell you think that is)?

[Gaspar]

I find that both Republicans and Democrats "Realize" lots of things before an election.  The problem is that they forget them right after an election.

[Conan71]

How did you make the leap from parental involvement in education to a smack against democrats not discussing "traditional family values" (whatever the hell you think that is)?

Did I hit a soft spot?

I kept expecting to hear him say something about parents taking responsibility and getting involved in their children's education.  It occurred to me I seldom hear Democrats or liberals talking about traditional husband/wife families.  I hear them take up for same gender families and the adoption rights of gay parents, etc.  I also hear Democrats chide Republicans for promoting traditional family values (or at least what was accepted in American society as traditional family values until the last 40 years).

What's the last speech by a prominent Democrat you can cite which deals with personal accountability or traditional family values?  I simply cannot think of any.  Perhaps my paradigm has become so entrenched in the idea that liberals always look toward the government for solutions instead of looking to themselves, that I tune messages like that out.

[Townsend]

traditional family values 

What are those values?  Will yours be the same as mine?

Who's will work best?

Every time I hear that line it's while politicians are ripping into anything but a married male/female couple and the wife is at home raising the litter.

After my father passed, was i know longer in a traditional family with values?