Teachers Union Mixed Over No Child Left Behind Decision

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten released the following statement in response to President Obama’s decision to reform the national No Chil Left Behind education law:

“No Child Left Behind needs to be fixed. Reauthorization, which is Congress’ responsibility, is the appropriate avenue to do so. We applaud Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) for their efforts to move that process forward, and we share their frustration that reauthorization is long overdue. In the absence of congressional reauthorization, we understand why the Obama administration is taking this action; we are keenly aware of the calls from parents, teachers and administrators for change—sooner rather than later. Waivers are an imperfect answer to the stalemate in Congress and, at best, can provide only a temporary salve.

Some of what the administration proposes is promising, some is cause for concern, and there are missed opportunities that could have enhanced both teaching and learning.

We are pleased that the administration’s proposal includes more options prospectively for improving low-performing schools, recognizing that many of the remedies prescribed in NCLB were not flexible enough. The proposal also acknowledges the importance of adopting higher college- and career-ready standards, which could include the Common Core State Standards, to prepare kids for a 21st-century knowledge economy.

However, after all we’ve learned about how to construct and implement meaningful teacher evaluation and development systems since Race to the Top was announced two years ago, we’re disappointed that the lessons learned are not evident in this package. Evaluation needs to be more teaching-focused, not more testing-focused. Successful school districts in the United States and in the top-performing nations understand that teacher evaluation systems should be based on continuous improvement and support, not on simply sorting, and it’s a missed opportunity not to follow their lead.”

Hoyer Calls For Urgent Action On CR

After the House passed a short-term spending plan Friday, House Minority Whip Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in order to move forward and talk about a compromise the Senate needs to act.

“The Senate has to act first to see what they can do over there,” Hoyer told reporters. “Then I think we’ll talk about compromise.”

Hoyer added that both chambers need to act with a sense of urgency.

“We believe, if [House Republicans] are really interested in getting this job done and figuring out what the Senate’s gonna do and are concerned about both the government staying open, but as importantly the emergency aid getting out as quickly as possible, they ought to get that bill over to the Senate now,” Hoyer said.

The bill, which would prevent a government shutdown by continuing federal funding through November 18th, passed the House with a close vote of 219-203. 

White House Laments House CR Vote

Here are some notes from this morning’s White House Gaggle with Press Secretary Jay Carney:

“The House passed something…they know can’t become law.”

Carney said last night’s vote shows that “the fever hasn’t broken” — referring to the partisanship that nearly caused a debt default this summer.

He said the House is “playing politics.” He added that passing a CR “should not be that difficult.”

Carney said that the majority of voters on both sides just want Congress to do its job when it comes to essential functions like funding the government. He said that the Tea Party is dictating how the House behaves.

Carney did say that the White House is “confident that this will get resolved,” and that Obama is in frequent consultation with leaders in both Houses.

Reid To Boehner: Pass The Senate CR

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released the following statement late Thursday night after the House narrowly passed a continuing resolution that includes far less in spending then the version passed by Reid’s chamber:

“The bill the House will vote on tonight is not an honest effort at compromise. It fails to provide the relief that our fellow Americans need as they struggle to rebuild their lives in the wake of floods, wildfires and hurricanes, and it will be rejected by the Senate. I was optimistic that my House Republican colleagues would learn from their failure yesterday and move towards the middle. Instead, they moved even further towards the Tea Party. They insist on holding out on Americans who have suffered devastating losses. Americans are tired of this partisanship. They deserve to know that when disasters strike, we will be there to help them. The American people should not have to worry that the relief they need will get tied up in partisan gridlock.”

“There is a clear solution. The Senate passed a bipartisan bill to get disaster relief to the people who need it as quickly as possible. The Federal Emergency Management Agency could run out of money as soon as Monday. People who need help will not get it. We cannot allow that to happen. House Republicans should stop playing political games, and pass the Senate’s bipartisan bill without delay. The Senate is ready to stay in Washington next week to do the work the American people expect us to do, and I hope the House Republican leadership will do the same.”

CEA Nominee Says "Proper Medicine" Will Expedite Recovery

At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee Thursday, President Obama’s nominee to head his Council of Economic Advisers Alan Krueger said “proper medicine” would help expedite the rate of economic recovery. 

“While time may heal many of the wounds in the economy, applying the proper medicine will help those wounds heal more quickly,” Krueger said during his opening remarks to the committee. 

Krueger, a former economist for the Labor Department and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, used his experience and economic background as a foundation for his ability to provide President Obama with a wide array of potential remedies to the nation’s fiscal woes. 

“I am convinced that we can meet the serious challenges we face with the right mix of economic policies and faith in American workers and business to adapt to change and emerge a stronger country,” Krueger said.  

The former Princeton professor lauded the American Jobs Act, most notably the provision that would  eliminate the payroll tax for small businesses saying, “it is a measure which will have a lot of bang for the buck in terms of job creation.”

If confirmed Krueger would be the third chairman the council has seen since Obama took office. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is the only member of the President’s original economic team that continues to work in the administration.