But the enthusiasm of Washington's political elite seems to find little resonance in the rest of the nation.
Public education needs a real reengineering.
Nearly a third of American students do not read at their grade level and SAT scores have been flat for years. 30,000 new teachers represents an increase of 1.1 percent in the country's public school teaching force which now numbers 2.7 million. Yet many highly qualified individuals continue to leave the teaching profession or do not enter it because of systemic flaws. Union contracts in many districts reward teachers for years of service rather than merit. Thus, some of the best teachers in a school often make less money than the worst.