President Barack Obama in his weekly address to the nation talked about the role of education in rebuilding America.

Obama spoke about the importance of teachers and their work in the classroom saying,

Teachers matter.  Most work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just to make a difference.  They give everything for our kids – and in return, we should invest in them.

But here’s the thing: this year, several thousand fewer educators will be going back to school.  Since 2009, we’ve lost more than 300,000 education jobs, in part, because of budget cuts at the state and local level.

Think about what that means for our country.  At a time when the rest of the world is racing to out-educate America; these cuts force our kids into crowded classrooms, cancel programs for preschoolers and kindergarteners, and shorten the school week and the school year.”

The President also discussed states needing to make financial commitments to education, even in tough economic times.

The President also urged the Congress to pass his jobs bill which offers relief to teachers by hiring them back, but it hasn’t made it through legislative process.

Watch the whole weekly address below or read the transcript here.

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