| Jan 25, 2012 President Barack Obama shared his plans to
improve American education in his 2012 State of the Union
address on Tuesday, January 24, at a little after 9:00 p.m. EST.
Below are his comments on education, excerpted from the speech’s
transcript. “…These reforms will help people get jobs that are
open today. But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our
commitment to skills and education has to start earlier. “For
less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each
year, we've convinced nearly every state in the country to raise
their standards for teaching and learning, the first time that's
happened in a generation. “But challenges remain. And we know
how to solve them. “At a time when other countries are doubling
down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off
thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the
lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher
can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond
his circumstance. “Ev