Obama Unveils New Education Initiative On ‘Today Show’

On Monday, President Barack Obama outlined his goal of widely increasing the number of math and science teachers in America’s public schools.

“When I came into office, I set a goal of moving our nation from the middle to the top of the pack in math and science education,” said Obama, who discussed his plan during a live interview with ‘Today Show’ host Matt Lauer.

The president’s plan involves recruiting 10,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers over the next two years, with the goal of adding 100,000 total in the next decade.

Obama also told Lauer that he supports extending the current school year, arguing that it would help the U.S. compete with countries like China and India.

“They have caught up and now in some cases have surpassed us,” Obama said.

The president defended his administration’s ‘Race to the Top’ program, but added that spending on education is ultimately not the only solution.

“Money without reform will not fix the problems,” he said.