Shortly following the November elections, a Gallup poll revealed that 68 percent of Americans believe that President Obama will improve education in his second term.
Such optimism isn’t all that surprising considering the emphasis Obama placed on education policy during his first four years, and the support he’s garnered during that time from both sides of the aisle.
And there has already been progress in the new year. In Oregon, early childhood education is the new priority, while New York has already gone into battle over teacher evaluations.
Beth Fertig, education reporter for WNYC, and Rob Manning, reporter for Oregon Public Broadcasting discuss the education issues at the state level and the direction Obama may take going forward.