President Barack Obama touched on a variety of issues-- energy, jobs, technology, climate change and the middle class-- in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. Yahoo News asked voters to respond to his speech. Here's one perspective.
COMMENTARY | In the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Obama spoke directly about education reform. As a Davis, Calif., teacher for 22 years, I have deep concerns about the value our country places on our education system. I am encouraged by President Obama's emphasis and plans for America's education reform.
The president said he is proposing a "new challenge to redesign America's high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy." His desire to "reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math" is exactly what I believe needs to happen to not only reinvigorate our curriculum and excite our students, but also to prepare them for entering the workforce of the 21st century prepared to make a living.
In addition to preparing my students for college and careers, my own daughter will be entering college in 2014, so his idea of a "'College Scorecard' that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria: where you can get the most bang for your educational buck" feels like a huge step in the right direction to empower families towards sensible college planning.
