Barack_Obama's Blog

As we approach the final stage of the campaign, Senator Obama needs you on the ground where it counts- in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The outcome of those contests will set the tone for the rest of the primary season -- and early victories will provide a burst of momentum that will propel Barack to the Democratic nomination.

If you're willing to spend a week or more in one of these early states between now and January 26th, please let us know. It will be a challenging and thrilling experience you will never forget. No previous campaign experience necessary. Limited housing available, but transportation to and from the state will be the responsibility of the volunteer. http://my.barackobama.com/earl ystatevolunteer

Thanks for all your help,

Scott, Becky & Bryan at Obama HQ

Barack unveiled a bold, new education plan yesterday, and you can click here to read the full speech, or watch the video below:

Featured in today's news:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama laid out a plan Tuesday to spend $18 billion on early childhood education, dropout prevention and teacher incentives. His plan also touches on a hot-button pay issue on which he differs with education unions. He would end standardized tests in favor of more complicated assessments, fund early childhood programs, give teachers bonuses for working in high-needs schools, and fund schools that experiment with longer school days or school years. "We've got to have a fuller and ultimately more accurate way of assessing what's going on in the classroom. The main goal of testing should not be to reward or punish," Obama said in an interview Tuesday.

..."Where our teachers go above and beyond the call to make a real difference in our children's lives, I think it's time we rewarded them for it," Mr. Obama said... Mr. Obama delivered his speech energetically...Attendees at the invitation-only event praised the spirit and level of detail in Mr. Obama's remarks. "I wanted to run up and hug him," said a former teacher from Hopkinton, N.H., Cynthea Warman. Deb Barry of Stratham, N.H., said that Mr. Obama's speech reflected weeks of back-and-forth between the Obama campaign and "Educators for Obama." She said that local educators participated in a conference call with the campaign's education policy advisers several weeks ago at which officials asked the supporters about their concerns. But for some, such as Gabrielle Grossman of Exeter, who hooted the candidate had changed her life as he exited, Mr. Obama's appeal transcended the specifics of his speech. She said the candidate's announcement of his presidential campaign coincided with her toddler son's diagnosis with autism. "Every time he sees me he asks about my son," she said. "Every time I see him I find hope."

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill...threaded the needle on the contentious issue of merit pay: his proposal to reward teachers based on student performance, which he unveiled Tuesday in New Hampshire, was praised by education reform advocates while being...welcomed by the head of an influential teachers' union. "Where they do succeed," Obama said of teachers, "I think it's time we rewarded them for it." Obama's willingness to boost teacher pay based on performance separates him from his Democratic rivals... "I believe it is a bold move on his part," said Marc Lampkin, the executive director of Strong American Schools, a non-partisan education group funded by the foundations of Bill Gates and Eli Broad. "It is a differentiator. It is the kind of bold initiative that we need to sustain broad education reform."

This morning in Manchester, New Hampshire, Barack Obama delivered a major policy address, unveiling his comprehensive plan to provide a world-class education for all Americans.

At a time when our schools have been shortchanged by the underfunding of "No Child Left Behind," Obama called for a new era of mutual responsibility in education where parents, teachers, leaders in Washington, and citizens all across the country come together for the sake of our children's success. Obama's plan will provide every American child the chance to receive the best education our country has to offer from the moment they are born to the day they graduate college. In addition to demanding excellence in education, the plan calls for providing the pay and resources that America's educators deserve.

Obama, who has fought for improving education his entire public life - first as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago and then through his work as a state Senator and U.S. Senator - discussed how, as President, he will make a real commitment to education and break free from the same debates that have preoccupied Washington for decades.

Senator Obama was introduced at the event by Jane LaCasse, a former New Hampshire Teacher of the Year with more than three decades of education experience that currently supervises student teachers for the undergraduate program at Plymouth State University.

Barack Obama's comprehensive plan to provide a world-class education for all Americans will:

* Reform No Child Left Behind.

* Ensure access to high-quality early childhood education programs and child care opportunities so children enter kindergarten ready to learn.

* Work to place effective teachers in every classroom in America, especially those in high-poverty, high-minority areas.

* Reward effective teachers for taking on challenging assignments and helping children succeed.

* Support highly-effective principals and school leaders.

* Make science and math education a national priority.

* Reduce the high school dropout rate by focusing on proven methods to improve student achievement and enhance graduation and higher education opportunities.

* Close the achievement gap and invest in what works.

* Empower parents to raise healthy and successful children by taking a greater role in their child's education at home and at school.

For full details on the plan click here.

Experts are raving about Obama's education policy.

Christopher Edley Jr., Dean, University of California - Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall):

Cycle after cycle, many of us have been wishing for a Democratic presidential candidate to offer thoughtful, passionate leadership on education issues. Someone who would put our children's dreams and potential first. Someone who would recognize that, second only to families, teachers matter most. Obama has delivered all this and more.

James J. Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, University of Chicago:

The Obama proposals for education are solidly grounded in the powerful evidence that the early years are critical for child development and that high quality child care can relieve the burdens on working families, foster skills for the next generation of Americans, promote productivity for society at large and reduce a fundamental source on inequality in American society.

Jason Kamras, 2005 National Teacher of the Year:

Senator Obama has presented a smart, progressive and ambitious agenda to provide every child in America with a truly excellent education. Imbued throughout his plan is a deep commitment to equity - to ensuring that every child in this nation, regardless of background, has access to first-rate educational opportunities. And no part of a child's life is left unaddressed. From birth through college, Obama proposes fresh ideas to improve educational access and quality. Education is, in my estimation, the civil rights and national security issue of our time and Obama has demonstrated through this plan that he has the bold and visionary leadership that our public schools - and our children - deserve.