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Moving Forward on Education Reform

Summary: 
As he said in his State of the Union, education is a key pillar of winning the future for America. Read about President Obama's meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators to discuss education reform efforts.

As he said in his State of the Union, education is a key pillar of winning the future for America.  That means more than just investing, it means focusing on reform, responsibility, and results, which is why the President met with a bipartisan group of legislators to discuss education reform efforts this morning.  The White House readout of their meeting is below.

Today, President Obama had a productive meeting with Senators Tom Harkin, Mike Enzi, Jeff Bingaman, and Lamar Alexander.  The President reiterated his strong belief that the nation’s economic future is being decided every day in classrooms across the country, and that reforming education through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is a key priority this year.  During the bipartisan meeting, the President discussed his desire to find common ground on the need to re-define the federal role in education, so that it is more flexible and better focused on responsibility, reform, and results. He discussed raising expectations for students and schools, boosting teacher effectiveness, and providing greater flexibility to support innovation and improvements throughout public education – including fostering a Race to the Top in our schools and providing incentives and rewards  to help students make significant strides and succeed.  The President looks forward to continuing this vital, bipartisan work to ensure America’s students have the skills they need to out-educate and out-compete the world and win the future.
 
* Representatives John Kline, George Miller, Duncan Hunter, and Dale Kildee were called back to Congress for a vote, they departed before the meeting began.

Learn more about the education initiatives in the President's 2012 Budget.

President Obama Discusses Education Reform With Legislators

President Barack Obama meets with a bipartisan group of legislators, including, from left, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., (back to camera) to discuss the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as "No Child Left Behind", in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, February 17, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama Meets With Legislators on NCLB

President Barack Obama meets with a bipartisan group of legislators, including Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, left, and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., right, to discuss the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as "No Child Left Behind", in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, February 17, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)