Weekly Address: Congress Should Back Plan to Hire Teachers

With students starting to head back to school, President Obama used this weeks address to discuss the critical role that education plays in Americas future. Nothing is more important to a childs 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 nations young people to help ensure that we have the strongest education system in the world.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, August 18, 2012.

Remarks of President Barack Obama The Weekly Address The White House August 18, 2012

Hi, everybody. This week, I spent some time traveling across Iowa talking with folks about rebuilding an economy where if you work hard, you and your family can get ahead. And along the way, I stopped in at Cascade High School to thank the teachers there for doing such a great job and wish them luck as they head back to the classroom for this school year. Theres nothing more important to our countrys future than the education we give our kids. And theres no one more important to that education than the person at the front of the classroom. Teachers matter. Most work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies just to make a difference. They give everything for our kids and in return, we should invest in them.

But heres the thing: this year, several thousand fewer educators will be going back to school. Since 2009, weve lost more than 300,000 education jobs, in part, because of budget cuts at the state and local level. Think about what that means for our country. At a time when the rest of the world is racing to out-educate America; these cuts force our kids into crowded classrooms, cancel programs for preschoolers and kindergarteners, and shorten the school week and the school year. Thats the opposite of what we should be doing as a country. States should be making education a priority in their budgets, even in tough fiscal times. And Congress should be willing to help out because this affects all of us. Thats why part of the jobs bill that I sent to Congress last September included support for states to prevent further layoffs and to rehire teachers whod lost their jobs. But here we are a year later with tens of thousands more educators laid off and Congress still hasnt done anything about it. In fact, the economic plan that almost every Republican in Congress voted for would make the situation even worse. It would actually cut funding for education which means fewer kids in Head Start, fewer teachers in our classrooms, and fewer college students with access to financial aid all to pay for a massive new tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. Thats backwards. Thats wrong. That plan doesnt invest in our future; it undercuts our future. If we want America to lead in the 21st century, nothing is more important than giving everyone the best education possible from the day they start preschool to the day they start their career. Thats why we launched a national competition to improve our schools. And for less than one percent of what our nation spends on education each year, weve encouraged almost every state to raise their standards the first time thats happened in a generation. Thats why weve invested in math and science education, and given states more flexibility on No Child Left Behind. And thats why weve reformed the student loan program to put students before big banks, and increased financial aid for millions of young people because in America, higher education cannot be a luxury; its an economic necessity every family should be able to afford. This is a country where no matter what you look like or where you come from, if youre willing to study and work hard, you can go as far as your talents will take you. You can make it if you try. I am only the President of the United States today because of the chance my education gave me. I want every child in America to have that chance. Thats what Im fighting for. And as long as I have the privilege of being your President, thats what Im going to keep fighting for. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

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[ Old English wice < Germanic, "series, succession"]

Weekly Address: Congress Should Back Plan congress \'k-grs also -rs, Brit usu 'k-"gres\ n [L to Hire Teachers congressus, fr. congredi to come together, fr. com- +
gradi to go more at grade] (1528) 1 a : the act or action of coming together and meeting b : coitus 2 : a formal meeting of delegates for discussion and usu. action on some question 3 : the supreme legislative body of a nation and esp. of a republic 4 : an association usu. made up of delegates from constituent organizations

[12th century. Probably < Old English styrtan "to jump" < Germanic]

With students starting to head back to school, President Obama used this weeks address to discuss the critical role that education plays in Americas future. education \"e-j-'k-shn\ n (1531) 1 a : the action or process of educating or of being educated ; also: a stage of such a process b : the knowledge and development resulting from an educational process a person of little ~ 2 : the field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in schools educational \-shnl, -sh-nl\ adj educationally \-\ adv

[15th century. Via Latin < Greek krisis "decisive moment" < krinein "decide"]

[ Old English ninc < earlier forms of no1 + thing]

Nothing is more important to a childs education than a great teacher [The Mind is the First 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.
1school \'skl\ n [ME scole, fr. OE scl, fr. L schola, fr. Gk schol leisure, discussion, lecture, school; perh. akin to Gk echein to hold more at scheme] (bef. 12c) 1 : an organization that provides instruction: as a : an institution for the teaching of children b : college university c (1): a group of scholars and teachers pursuing knowledge together that with similar groups constituted a medieval university (2): one of the four faculties of a medieval university (3): an institution for specialized higher education often associated with a university the ~ of engineering d : an establishment offering specialized instruction a secretarial ~ driving ~s

room where people are taught: a room, especially in a school or college, where classes are held

That means more crowded classrooms, fewer kindergarten and preschool programs, and shorter school years and weeks.
[ Old English gar < Indo-European]

1program \'pr-"gram, -grm\ n [F programme agenda, public notice, fr. Gk programma, fr. prographein to write before, fr. pro- before + graphein to write more at carve] (1633) 1 [LL programma, fr. Gk]: a public notice 2 a : a brief usu. printed outline of the order to be followed, of the features to be presented, and the persons participating (as in a public performance) b : the performance of a program ; esp: a performance broadcast on radio or television 3 : a plan or system under which action may be taken toward a goal

[14th century. < French proposer "put forward" < poser (see pose1), after Latin proponere]

President Obama has proposed a jobs bill that would help states prevent further layoffs and rehire teachers, but Congress refuses to pass it.
most for almost? Though most is often used in oral and informal settings as a synonym for almost, it is best to avoid this use in formal writing because many critics regard it as much too informal. Thus, it is wise to write Almost everyone was invited rather than Most everyone was invited. [13th century. < French passer < Latin passus "step"]

Instead, the budget that almost every Republican voted for would further cut education in order to give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.
[Late 19th century. After millionaire] [ Old English brecan < Indo-European]

1white \'hwt, 'wt\ adj, whiter whitest [ME, fr. OE hwt; akin to OHG hwz white and prob. to OCS svt light, Skt veta white, bright] (bef. 12c) 1 a : free from color b : of the color of new snow or milk ; specif: of the color white c : light or pallid in color ~ hair lips ~ with fear d : lustrous pale gray : silvery ; also: made of silver

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 nations young people to help ensure that we have the strongest education system in the world.

strong \'str\ adj, stronger \'str-gr also -r\ strongest \'strgst also -st\ [ME, fr. OE strang; akin to OHG strengi strong, L stringere to bind tight more at strain] (bef. 12c) 1 : having or marked by great physical power 2 : having moral or intellectual power 3 : having great resources (as of wealth or talent) 4 : of a specified number an army ten thousand ~ 5 a : striking or superior of its kind a ~ resemblance b : effective or efficient esp. in a specified direction ~ on watching other people work A. Alvarez

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