capital. we all have to move. superintendents have to move. school boards have to move. politicians have been a huge part of this problem, dummying down standards. that s not unions doing that. that s politicians doing that. our department of education has been part of the problem. we re trying to become this engine of innovation. rather than pointing fingers, we have to step up. parents and students have to do more. everyone has to move. i understand that. it wouldn t be realistic for not to say that teachers unions have not been the chief impediment to school reform. have they not? some have absolutely been part of the problem. i always point out diane donohue, the head of the n efrnlthsza in delaware, an absolute profile in leadership, courage. she s willing to do the right thing by children. we announced last week, joe, over $400 million in teacher incentive funds to 60 school districts around the country. this is rewarding teachers for excellent work. this is awarding teachers
tar are at the same time they said the union is still not. it can t just be unions. school boards have to be part of the solution. we dummied down standards. that was politicians. dummying down standards so they look good. bad for children and bad for education and the state. all of us have to move outside and do the right thing by the nation s children. we have to do that. secretary duncan, with all due respect, you say that chancellors and school superintendents have to show more leadership. you had a situation in washington, d.c. where the union poured a million to defeating the mayor. the mayor had a lot of other political problems and some people say his personality didn t lend itself to being a meet and greet politician. the white house did not help save school reform where it was
everybody always says, it s a cliche, but only nixon could go to china. only obama can stand up to the union and save our schools. and that s beginning to happen. what i really am encouraged by, and the these two guys know it as well as anyone, this is one issue in which people are beginning to talk to each other in more civil tones. if you look at the discussion in the last 24 hours on this set last night, meet the press, and we ll see it in the next 48 hours or so, there are lots of divergent interests here. but at the same time they re willing to come to a common platform and try to work it out because it touches every life in america. when i was going to school 100 years ago, it was one size fits all. you go in and do your math tables and memorize history and then get out of there and there would be a job. that s not the case anymore. i spent part of this week with bill gates, this past week. he s spending half a billion dollars of the gates foundation