Obama: Money alone cannot solve US school problems

Bemoaning America's decreasing global educational competitiveness, President Barack Obama on Monday called for a longer school year, and said the worst-performing teachers have "got to go" if they do not improve quickly.

Obama sought in a nationally broadcast interview to reinvigorate his education agenda. At the same time, the president acknowledged that many poor schools don not have the money they need and he defended federal aid for them. But Obama also said that money alone will not fix the problms in public schools, saying higher standards must be set and achieved by students and teachers alike.

Asked in an interview if he supported a year-round school year, Obama said: "The idea of a longer school year, I think, makes sense." He did not specify how long that school year should be but said USstudents attend classes, on average, about a month less than children in most other advanced countries.

US schools usually take a three-month summer break.

On another topic in a live half-hour interview on NBC television's "Today" show, the president also sought anew to show that he understands the frustration of millions of people coping with a slow economy - and high joblessness - some 20 months into his term. He said that even if people know he is working hard to fix their problems, what they expect from him is "something concrete" to help them get a job and pay their bills.

Education is primarily the domain of state and local governments. But the federal government has leverage and uses it, for example, through the strings it attaches to poverty aid that thousands of schools depend upon to support their programming.

The president admitted that his own daughters, Malia and Sasha, could not get the same quality education at a Washington public school that they currently get at their private school.

"The [city's] public schools systems are struggling," Obama said, though he added that the school district had, "made some important strides over the last several years to move in the direction of reform." Public schools in Washington have long faced criticism for their low test scores and high dropout rates.

Separately Monday, Obama announced a goal of recruiting 10,000 teachers who work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math - over the next two years. In a statement, Obama said such education was vital to allowing students to compete against their peers in today's economy.

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Associated Press Writer Julie Pace contributed to this story.