Obama angers union officials with remarks in support of R.I. teacher firings

[Tim01 2.0]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103560.html

President Obama voiced support Monday for the mass firings of educators at a failing Rhode Island school, drawing an immediate rebuke from teachers union officials whose members have chafed at some of his education policies.

Speaking at an event intended to highlight his strategy for turning around struggling schools by offering an increase in federal funding for local districts that shake up their lowest-achieving campuses, Obama called the controversial firings justified.

[Brickbat]

1. The more I learn about Obama's education secretary, and how Obama feels about those policies, the

more angry and sick-feeling I get. I have to say I did not project all my hopes onto Obama's excellent blank-paper campaign, but I guess even hoping for benign neglect of my interests was too much to ask for.

[Broke In Jersey]

2. his comments on R.I. did take me back a bit. n/t

[Tim01 2.0]

3. I'm thinking this will start a war with the unions. Am I right about that?

Or is it not quite such a big deal as I think it is?

[madfloridian]

5. It is a huge deal. He shows contempt for teachers and their unions.

But then DU is becoming more and more the same way.

[laughingliberal]

7. +1 nt

[4_TN_TITANS]

27. Well it's about time that something woke

the NEA sleeping giant. Education policy is headed in entirely the wrong direction. I've been amazed at the silence, maybe it's just the cognitive dissonance as the realization sets in that they've been majorly had by the adminstration.

[PM Martin]

4. Stupid.

A center left government is declaring war on public education? :wtf:

[QC]

11. There's nothing left about this administration--and increasingly

there's nothing particularly center about it, either.

[2Design]

23. actually I am believing it is center right - not much left - left n/t

[PVnRT]

24. Their stance on education is anything but "center-left"

[FLAprogressive]

6. Obama has consistently shown who he sides with....corporations....not workers....

[amborin]

30. including very weak "support" for EFCA, which is now gutted

[laughingliberal]

8. Guess the strategy is to alienate all the usual supporters of Democrats in time for November

Brilliant!

[QC]

12. You obviously don't appreciate fine chess. n/t

[Echo In Light]

13. +1

[Xipe Totec]

9. In a state that has a 9.5% minority population, Central Falls populaton is 72% minorities

It is a ghetto.

Scapegoating the teachers will not change that.

[progressoid]

10. He's not just angering union officials.

Although that in itself is going to hurt him. He's also pissing off a good portion of the rest of the base.

[guardian]

14. Obama is right on this one

According to the article, "just 7 percent of 11th-graders passed state math tests." That is appalling. Obviously a major change was needed at that school.

[Individualist]

18. Right as in right wing.

[Bluebear]

20. Poverty is appalling. PS, was he "right" bailing out torturers, or are they not accountable?

[PVnRT]

25. Yep. It is ALL the teachers' fault

No one else shares any of the blame whatsoever. :sarcasm:

[Hippo_Tron]

26. The government can't fire parents

And while it can address poverty, it isn't going to because too many voters believe that poverty is a choice. However if bad teachers are even a small part of the equation and firing them will even marginally improve test scores, the government is going to fire them.

[roguevalley]

28. reading why is eye opening. find out what the population of students is, consider

that the fucking town channeled there and then left them high and dry. change is needed but firing everyone is the wrong change. He is not right on this issue. Given this criteria, everyone in America is going to be bulk fired. Obama is wrong as HELL on this issue.

[c brand]

15. It is becoming increasingly clear that Pres Obama does not want a 2nd term --

[Tim01 2.0]

16. Really?

The right wing boards are going on about how shocked they are that Obama has made a decision they support. Snowballs in hell and all that.

[c brand]

17. They'll never vote for him even if he shows them the videotape of his birth

[katandmoon]

19. Spoken like a true successor to Bush

[G_j]

21. PATCO !!!

all praise Saint Ronnie!

[jgraz]

22. That's our Fierce Advocate in Chief!

:banghead:

[earth mom]

29. Corporatist all the way. Did anyone really expect anything different from Obama?

Get ready for the privatization of ALL public schools.