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Updated 9/20/2011

Last night, President Obama revealed the American Jobs Act, a framework that calls for strategic investments intended to both put Americans back to work and rebuild critical components of the country’s infrastructure.

One clear winner in his proposal is education.  The President calls for $30 billion in new money to ward off teacher layoffs and $30 billion to modernize America’s schools. Administration officials estimate the money could save as many as 280,000 educators’ jobs and pay for makeovers to at least 35,000 public schools.

We at the Learning First Alliance applaud the President’s call to invest in schools and teachers. We support the President’s plan to put teachers back to work and invest in education infrastructure to make schools more efficient and innovative, and we urge Congress to support this plan, which will help improve public education for all children. Read our entire statement here.

What did others in the education community (and LFA network) have to say?  

Dennis Van Roekel, President of the National Education Association: President Obama clearly understands that quality education is the key to our nation’s future. He’s putting America’s unemployed construction workers back on the job to help modernize our aging K-12 schools and community colleges. We are pleased and encouraged that the President continues to demonstrate his commitment to the success of all students by helping to make sure they have  the best possible learning environment—a key element of quality education. Read more...

Anne Bryant, Executive Director of the National School Boards Association: In the face of massive budget shortfalls and education layoffs at school districts across the country, this new funding would provide necessary aid to America's schools. Our school children deserve a quality education and that cannot happen when their teachers are getting laid off and their school buildings are in need of repairs and upgrades that keep getting postponed due to budget cuts. See the statement...

Brenda Welburn, Executive Director of the National Association of State Boards of Education: Recognizing that education is a vital component of the U.S. economy, NASBE believes any jobs proposal should include a plan to help keep teachers in classrooms and put contractors to work renovating and modernizing those same classrooms. We commend the president for including teachers and school construction in his remarks to Congress.

Daniel Domenech, Executive Director of the American Association of School Administrators (and chair of the Learning First Alliance): Keeping teachers in our classrooms is essential to meeting the educational needs of our students. Creating jobs that will make much needed repairs to our schools is a win-win situation. We urge Congress to move towards the immediate passage of the American Jobs Act. See the statement...

Betsy Landers, President of the National PTA: National PTA applauds the President’s commitment to invest in education,” said National PTA President Betsy Landers. “Our economy is in crisis, and efforts to provide a high-quality education to every child are key to overcoming this crisis and ensuring competitiveness in an increasingly global economy. Our children deserve enough teachers and school support personnel on hand, safe and comfortable school facilities, and the opportunity to graduate ready for college and career. … We are hopeful that last night’s address will inspire Members of Congress to thoughtfully invest in our nation’s future – the education of our children. Read more...

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers: President Obama's bold plan is the right antidote to help solve our persistent economic problems. The president wisely decided to invest in jobs and programs that will rebuild our nation to meet its promise and potential. Congress must pass this jobs package immediately so that students will have the teachers they need and fewer rundown schools; drivers will have better roads and bridges; and Americans will have better opportunities to get and keep good jobs, and have more money in their pockets. Read more...

Gail Connelly, Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals: NAESP supports President Obama’s call on Congress to develop the specific legislation that would keep hundreds of thousands of educators on the job and modernize our schools in support of teaching and learning, among other essential investments in America. We are extremely mindful, however, that the legislation Congress ultimately develops could cut funds from existing essential programs—such as Title 1—to fund these new initiatives. … Federal dollars to preserve educators’ jobs and modernize schools must supplement current education funds, not replace them. Read more...

JoAnn Bartoletti, Executive Director of NASSP: NASSP strongly endorses the president’s call for investing in our children by funding more teachers and school modernization, for which the Act provides....This bill is about all of us. It’s not about supporting an ideology or institution, but supporting our children–those who will be our caretakers and leaders in the next generation–with educators and facilities that will empower them to thrive. Read more... 

Sharon Robinson, Executive Director of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education: As an intervention concerning jobs, President Obama has proposed the strategic education target of saving teachers’ jobs and modernizing school buildings. ... In all of education, and especially for K-12, this matter is about more than jobs. Cuts in education staff equate to lost opportunities for students. ... The President’s proposal is practical, principled and should be taken into serious consideration for the ultimate benefit of learners. Read commentary in the National Journal...

Photo from whitehouse.gov: President Barack Obama delivers an address on jobs and the economy, Chuck Kennedy, 9/8/11