captions paid for by nbc-universal television why our students are falling behind and how they can get back on top. our nbc special coverage begins. under suspicion. an embattled pastor breaks his silence about accusations of sexual abuse. rough landing. >> get down. stay down. heads down. stay down. >> an emergency in flight caught on tape. and going for the gold, how the nfl hopes to build its audience by thinking young. from nbc news world

headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, everyone. we're coming to you tonight from the plaza outside our rockefeller center studios in what we have transferred this week into learning plaza. it's part of education nation. nbc news special coverage this week focusing on our nation's schools and how we can help our children succeed. a new nbc news "wall street journal" poll finds half of americans believe public grade schools need major changes or a complete overhaul. this week we help to stimulate a national conversation about that. that conversation got a boost this past weekend with facebook founder's contribution of $100 million to the struggling school district in newark, new jersey. also, this weekend's premiere "waiting for superman" about the he inequality of schools. we kicked things off with a spirited town hall meeting

involving many in the trenches of public education. nbc's education correspondent rehema ellis is here to tell us more about it. >> it was an exciting event. for two hours the teachers were inspiring about the job that is stressful and extremely demanding. right now the teacher's job is under critical review because of what is and is not happening in the classroom. america's public school students are in trouble. on nearly every major ranking the results are disappointing. 40 years ago american students were first. now among 30 developed nations our skutudents rank 24th in mat 17th science and 10th in read g reading. nationwide nearly 70% of our students graduate from high school, but among african-american, latino and low-income students, just over 50% graduate each year. the state of education in

america was the subject of a teacher town hall discussion in new york's rockefeller plaza moderated by nbc's brian williams. about 300 educators joined 2300 more online to share ideas, to brainstorm, and in part to vent. >> are teachers, do you feel, under attack right now? >> teachers cannot fix every problem. try as we do, and as responsible as we feel for every problem, we can't fix them all. >> on tenure. >> it allows up to stand up to principals and speak back against parent who is don't necessarily want to do the right thing. >> not all teachers agree. >> i don't need tenure for that. they'll see i'm doing a good job and hire me again. >> many express dismay that society generally doesn't understand, appreciate, our pay teachers an adequate salary. >> you're going to work in the

most challenging district with the most challenging kids, need to make the most progress of any teacher and you will not own your own home. >> teachers raising their voices in a passionate debate with so much on the lines. >> we hear so much from politicians, different bodies, but teacher voice has systemically been cut out of the conversation. >> today teachers were listened to and heard. what we learned is on this very difficult and complex problem of failing schools, even the teachers are not all on the same page, but they said today, lester, that they're trying to get there. >> good start to the conversation we talked about. rehema, thank you very much. as part of our coverage matt lauer will have an exclusive live interview with president obama tomorrow morning at 8:00 eastern on "today." the nationally known pastor of a church, bishop eddie long of georgia spoke public for the first time about lawsuits filed by four young men alleged that

he lured them into sexual relationships. long said he was ready for fight. we get the latest tonight from ron mott. >> reporter: the faithful welcomed eddie long back to the pulpit today, the preacher at the sex scandal facing four lawsuits. >> imt ni'm not the man being portrayed on the television. that's not me. that is not me. i am not a perfect man, but this thing i'm going to fight. >> reporter: it's a battle that's likely to be public and potentially very graphic. four former male members of long's churches here in georgia and north carolina allege he gave each gifts and special favor before coaxing them into a

sexual relationship. the attorney says it was not easy for them to step forward. >> can you imagine these young men, here's a man with ultimate power. he's with presidents, president bush came to his church, president clinton embraces him. now, who is going to ever believe them? >> reporter: there was a mix of opinions among members as they may their way to worship this morning, from full support to calls for resignation. >> he should take time, step down and learn from this experience. >> let the law judge him. that's god's duty, to judge him. >> reporter: long did not dlg the allegations directly today, but did so through a lawyer last week. >> what's most important the notion of a young person having their innocence taken away and being traumatized. whether he confesses to that or not, that's an issue that i think should be on the front burner. >> reporter: a firestorm of controversy long compared to david versus goliath. >> i have five rocks, and i haven't thrown one yet.

>> reporter: a fight that seems headed for a courtroom. ron mott, nbc news, atlanta. we want to turn to a story developing in the midwest tonight. there is an immediate evacuation order in effect in central wisconsin where a levee failing. flooding across the upper midwest is so far driven hundreds out of the home. jeff rossen has the latest. jeff. >> right now the biggest problem as you mentioned is in wisconsin, a levee is giving way which could send water gushing into the city of portage, wisconsin. emergency officials are asking everyone in the area to evacuation worried that neighborhoods will entirely flood out. once the levee breaks they won't reach people in high level areas. this is along the map alon the wisconsin river. this is after days of pounding rain that plagued the midwest. in northfield, minnesota a river

overflowed and flooded many streets. the water came in so fast and got so high it submerged a local high school football field. nearby towns dozens of homes were damaged and roads were closed there as well. this weekend the governor of minnesota declared a state of emergency in 35 counties. at this hour we learned that the rivers is receding and the floodwaters are receding and many are going into cleanup mode at noint. the ongoing problem is in wisconsin where that levee is eroding by the hour and the evacuation plan is active, lester. >> jeff, thank you. now to politics and a new front in the pitch battle for control of congress. it's about tax cuts passed as temporary during the bush years, but there's a push to make some of them or all of them permanent. we get more tonight from nbc's mike macara. >> reporter: campaigning in normally democratic new england today, a familiar face. >> i know why people are hurting

and mad and frustrated. >> reporter: as president bill clinton saw his party lose control of congress, a fate that president obama and democrats want to avoid. >> how bad will november be at this point in time in juror judgment? >> the democrats will do very well and we'll keep the majority. >> this year doing well simply means holding on, and now the campaign trail leads to the floor of congress, a major battle erupted over extending bush era tax cut set to expire this year. today the democratic leader in the house all but ruled out a vote before the election. >> i doebt we will. >> reporter: republicans want to extentd the cuts to everyone including the wealthy. >> that's something we can't do. >> reporter: the white house would allow rates to rise for those making more than $250,000 do do . with no compromise it has to wait for a lame duck session. today it brought republican ridicule. >> they have time to bring a comedian to washington, d.c., but they don't center time to eliminate the uncertainty by extending all of the current tax

ratds? >> the comedian is stephen colbert who testified this week before congress on immigration. >> this is america. >> reporter: friday house speaker nancy pelosi defended the democrats that invited him. >> the committee has a point of view. it can bring attention to important issues like immigration. >> reporter: many said colbert mocked congress and today pelosi's top lieutenant broke with the speaker. >> i think his testimony was not appropriate. i think it was an embarrassment for mr. colbert, more than the house. >> reporter: meanwhile with democrats in trouble many are running away from their leaders in washington. it's an emphasis experts say that's the democrats' best hope to hold on. >> the american public is angry that the the economy hasn't turned around, they're worried, they're frustrated and they're taking it out on incumbents, primarily democrats. >> reporter: lester, the focus for president obama is the

economy this week. he travels to four states in three days to promote the easing of the recession and promote recovery. he's going to raise campaign cash for democrats. lester. >> mike, thank you. there was tense moments in the air last night over new york's jfk airport. a delta commuter flight was forced to make an emergency landing when one of the landing gears wouldn't come down. the voice of a flight attendant was captured on cell phone video warning passengers to brace for impact. >> brace for impact. >> heads down. stay down. heads down. stay down. >> passengers said they saw sparks out the window and a wing dragging on the tarmac, but there was no fire and everyone escaped unhurt. when "nbc nightly news" continues this sunday , more owd indication nation with one school's remark success in helping schools make a dramatic

turnaround. how the nfl hopes to score with some new, young fans. exercise may not be enough to keep your bones strong. so ask your doctor about once-monthly boniva. boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone loss. studies show, after one year on boniva that's exactly what it did for nine out of ten women. and that's what it did for me. (announcer) don't take boniva if you problems with your esophagus, low blood calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. i've got this one body and this one life, so i'm glad boniva helped me stop losing and start reversing. ask your doctor about boniva today. (announcer) to get one month free, plus more tips and recipes, visit boniva.com or call 1-800-4-boniva.

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we're back tonight from learning plaza continuing our reports on education with a sober fact. only about one-third of this nation's fourth graders are considered proficient in reading and math. some schools are making dramatic inroads helping students score impressive gains. tamron hall looks at these schools. >> reporter: the school we visited in north carolina is considered such an example that the secretary of education arne duncan visited the school a couple weeks ago. he called it a model of what is

possible for the entire country. like most modest parents kim calls her son her baby genius. >> have a good day. >> reporter: at nine years old he's in a hurry to head off to fourth grade, but if you ask one of his former teachers -- >> he was more worried about fooling around and getting people to laugh at him. he didn't have the direction that he needed. >> reporter: his grades, bs and cs and sometimes worse, that was last year. today -- >> what was your problem, javon? >> i forgot to put a zero. >> i got an a in math, an a in literacy. >> his progress report is one example of the remarkable change taking place at sterling element school in charlotte, north carolina. in 2008 only 26% of third graders passed standardized reading tests, 41% passed math. this year the students improved dramatically, 66% passed

reading, 86% passed math. >> it was a reality check for the staff that it was as bad as it was. >> reporter: the principal came here to lead the turnaround under a new program called strategic staffing initiative she was offered a 10% raise to run sterling, the flexibility to remove five ineffective teachers and the ability to give $20,000 bonuses to hire five of the best teachers in the district. >> it's bringing in the best teachers that we can finds and putting these teachers in a situation where they can thrive. >> does the number have power? >> reporter: kurt thompson is one of the top teachers. his track record at other schools showed that he's effective of taking students are low test scores and helping them to become successful. >> someone has to be interested in their life. somebody has to take an interest in them, and the walls will come

down and they'll trust. that's when the learning happens. >> reporter: it was the individual attention javon needed to still have fun while focusing on his future. >> now i'm getting notes about how he's progressing, and that he pays attention and he's a good kid now. it makes a big difference. >> i want to give my masters degree, my bachelor's degree, my doctoral degree. that will take long. >> reporter: so the program at sterling has been so successful it's now in place at 20 different schools in charlotte, north carolina. proof that good things can spread out. lester. >> an inspiring story. thank you very much, and thanks for the fine folks joining us here on learning plaza tonight. we appreciate them stopping by. when we continue on "nightly news," the fight to get back to school in a war zone when the classroom is right on the front lines. [ male announcer ] you can't un-smoke a cigarette. and you can't go back and un-do the times you tried quitting...

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a critical moment. israel's ten-month freeze in the west bank has ended by breaking ground for a new school. israel's prime minister has called for restraint. palestinian officials threatened to walk away from the peace talks over the settlement issue. we turn to a school on the front lines of a battle far from home in kandahar where american and afghan troops have begun the active combat phase in the push to drive out the taliban. the school's survival is a personal mission from one american commander. we get the story today. >> reporter: alpha company commander nick stout spends a lot of time looking at a mu mud-walled town. he will have to clear them of some of the toughest taliban

fight thaerz surround them. >> we have had people shooting from rooftops. >> reporter: the vantage point and top priority is the school. to defend this strategic building on the main road to kandahar city, they turned it into a combat outpost. for the michigan native with a degree in journalism it's personal, denying them the school could secure a chide's chance at an education. >> it's about being a human being, and that's what we're trying to do out here. >> reporter: now the school's windows are lined with sandbags and exhausted troopers have replaced students and the black boards keep track of the ammunition. the foundation stone was laid almost eight years ago with u.s. cash and lots of hope for the future. three years later canadian forces opened the school and two years later the taliban shut it down. today this school is a front line, and snier snipers are posd behind the trees less than 100

yards beyond the wall ready to pounce when they venture beyond the school. stout is optimistic, a veteran of the surge in baghdad, he's seen war zones become school zones before. he's determined to hold the school so kids can be back in class this fall. >> this is why we fought through the times we did to make this success. the bottom line is we've all bled for this place. >> reporter: he's keeping one room filled with tables and book bags waiting for the children and the day a dream school comes true. nbc news, kandahar. here at home we learned today the chief operating officer of comcast will become ceo of the new nbc universal when comcast takes majority ownership by the end of the year. on friday nbc's current ceo jeff zuker announced he would leave the company when the deal is finalized. when "nightly news" continues,

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patterson who was partially blind. he mocked it. as we get ready for "football night in america" the informa nfl is trying to build its fan base by creating a new generation of football lovers and the key is to think young. nbc's lee cowan reports. >> reporter: the love the game hits early and so does its realities. the burbank vikings loss 20-0 this weekend. that didn't deter number 66. he's just the kind of minifan the nfl is counting on, not just because of his play on the field but the play off it. adam is one of 2 million kids now playing with the nfl online. >> it's just fine. you don't have work and you get to play it. >> reporter: the nfl kicked off rush zone, an online fantasy game, two years ago to broaden

the fan base instead of taking its youngest fans for granted. >> what we tried to do is not expect the kids would come to the nfl and the game would be handed down to them, but they could find the nfl in all the places where they're spending time. >> reporter: this season rush zone the game became rush zone the cartoon. >> let's do this. >> reporter: the hero is a 10-year-old charger fan named ish. >> whoa. norm turner coach of the san diego chargers. >> reporter: it's all for young fans. in his age group he and his friends have a lot of competing interests. >> they have this spongebob, cartoon network and all the other fancy channels. >> the nfl wants to make sure tony romo are on the same footing with kids as spongebob. it's not that the nfl is forsaking the became boomer fan base, it's to get the future cheese heads, studies show kids

have been to be interested in the nfl early? is it working, in the season opener there was a 30% jump in viewership in kids 12 and under. a small but important slice. >> if there's a game, i really watch it. >> reporter: every second, every down? i just watch it pretty much. >> reporter: the nfl hopes the fans will mature, but not too much. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. that's "nbc nightly news." sunday night "football night in america" is coming up next followed by the jets versus the dolphins. thanks for watching, everyone. dolphins. thanks for watching, everyone. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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