Weekly Address: Congress Should Back Plan to Hire Teachers

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With students starting to head back to school, President Obama used this week’s address to discuss the critical role that education plays in America’s future. Nothing is more important to a child’s education than a great teacher. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of teachers will not be going back to school this year, partially because of budget cuts at the state and local level. That means more crowded classrooms, fewer kindergarten and preschool programs, and shorter school years and weeks. President Obama has proposed a jobs bill that would help states prevent further layoffs and rehire teachers, but Congress refuses to pass it. Instead, the budget that almost every Republican voted for would further cut education in order to give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires. The White House has taken steps including investing in science and math, giving states more flexibility on No Child Left Behind, and increasing financial aid for millions of young people, but in order to help America lead in the 21st century, our elected officials in Congress must stand up for our nation’s young people to help ensure that we have the strongest education system in the world.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/18/weekly-address-congress-should-back-plan-hire-teachers