The Hill News

In a major education speech Thursday, President Obama defended his controversial "Race to the Top" program from criticism that its emphasis on competition hinders poor and minority students.

He also denied claims by teachers unions, many of which have been unhappy with the program, that it unfairly penalizes educators working in underperforming schools.

"I am 110 percent behind our teachers," he said. "All I'm asking in return â€" as a president, as a parent, and as a citizen â€" is some measure of accountability."

Addressing the convention of the National Urban League, a leading civil rights group, he added that critics who use the program as an excuse to blame teachers are "missing the point."

The Urban League and six other civil rights groups released a report this week criticizing the program and saying the quality of education offered to minority students reflects a "state of emergency" in the system.

Even as he acknowledged these concerns Thursday, Obama challenged teachers, parents, and student alike to embrace "increased accountability," and likened the program to his administration's efforts to reform healthcare and Wall Street. 

"Race to the Top" was unveiled last July, and offers large grants to states whose schools improve their performance based on a set of recommended standards.

Obama called it the "single most ambitious education reform effort attempted in this country in generations," praising the two states â€" Delaware and Tennessee â€" that were awarded money in the first round.

"Co! mpetition leveraged change at the state level," he said, adding "the states that didn't win have strengthened their applications for the second round … and even those states that haven't gotten a grant, their students have benefited from the reforms." 

Addressing the concern that the program doesn't do enough for struggling minority students, he said that "what's not working for [minority] kids is the status quo."

"What's not working is what we've been doing for decades," he continued. "Lifting up quality for all our children … is the central premise of 'Race to the Top.'"

He also drew a contrast between his education program, which he said "directly incentivizes states to address failing schools," and the one championed by former President George W. Bush.

"Unlike No Child Left Behind, this isn’t about labeling a troubled school a failure one day and throwing up our hands the next," Obama said. "It’s about investing in that school’s future, recruiting the whole community to help turn it around, and identifying some viable options for how to move forward."

He added that "the controversy [over the program] reflects a general resistance to change."

"It's easy to get comfortable with the status quo even when the status quo isn't good â€" to make excuses for why things have to be the way they are," he said, at the same time asking for patience as the reforms are implemented. 

"It may take a decade for these changes to pay off, but that not a reason not to do them. It's a reason to do them with more urgency."