Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay — sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies, just to make a difference. Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal: give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job and keep the best ones. And in return, grant schools flexibility to teach with creativity and passion, and stop teaching to the test — and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn. That’s a bargain worth making.

President BARACK OBAMA (via inothernews)