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TOUGH CHOICES OR TOUGH TIMES STATE COALITION PRAISES OBAMA’S EDUCATION SPEECH: MEMBERS READY TO MEET HIS CHALLENGE

Marc Tucker, co-chair of implementation for the Tough Choices Tough Times education reform initiative, gave the following statement in response to President Obama’s speech today:

“President Obama’s eloquent speech on education today challenges all of us to move beyond tinkering with the pieces of the education system and focus on reforming the system itself.” As he suggested the Tough Choices state coalition has committed to:

• Recruit the top-third of college students into teaching, and paying and treating them like professionals;
• Adopt international standards, assessments and instructional systems so that U.S. students can compete with their peers from around the world;
• Invest in universal early childhood education for all four year olds and low income three year olds; and
• Invest resources in the most at risk students to keep them on track to meet new standards and prevent them from dropping out of school.

The Tough Choices Tough Times state coalition is made up of six states: Massachusetts, Delaware, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and New Hampshire. Today, the NEA, the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers announced their support of the coalition’s work.