traditions and that can be a very difficult conversation. >> sit my pleasure to welcome you to education nation on rockefeller plaza. >> reporter: under one tent, at least until a heavy downpour forced them indoors, teachers, administrators and policymakers confronting a crisis in american education. >> we have a system funding things that just don't work. >> i think teachers are under attack. >> it's not about good schools versus bad schools. >> reporter: and coming together to explore solutions. >> we're very excited about it because it creates a national dialogue around this. >> reporter: a dialogue president obama joined in, in a live discussion with matt lauer and our audience here in new york. >> i wanted to know whether or not you think that malia and sasha could get the same rigorous education in a d.c. public school compared to their very elite president academy they're attending now? >> thanks for the question, kelly. i'll be blunt with you. the answer is no right now. the d.c. public school systems are struggling. >> you wake up every morning and you know that kids are getting a real

welcome to our special coverage of "education nation"s this week. look at nation's schools. live pictures from a kind of rainy rockefeller plaza that has been turned into a learning plaza for education nation summit. we're bringing together teachers, parents, executives and union leaders with one aim, solutions to give american you students a better education. we should have invited mother nature. a new poll finds 58% of americans believe public schools need major changes or a complete overhaul. 5% think public schools work well and 36% think minor changes are needed. when asked to give america's schools a letter grade 70% gave them either a "c" or a "d," 19% gave them an "a" or a "b." who is to blame?

. >>> and "education nation." nbc news takes a special in-depth look at the state of our nation's schools. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> hello and good morning to you including those in the pacific time zone. i'm veronica de la cruz. >>> this morning we begin on the brink -- this morning several states in the midwest are trying to stay dry as rivers there are rising to dangerous levels. the situation is particularly precarious along the wisconsin river where one levee built in the 1890s is failing. while it hasn't collapsed, officials don't consider it safe. they recommend evacuation and have warned residents that if the levee breaks, emergency vehicles, including police, fire, and ambulances will not be able to reach those who stay behind. fortunately water levels are beginning to recede elsewhere in wisconsin where a state of emergency had been declared in several counties. >>> this morning's "new york times" is reporting that federal officials are seeking broader authority to hunt down crimi

partly the secretary perhaps. [ applause ] we are back on education nation on msnbc. pened this hour with a direct appeal to young college students to get involved. there be an acute shortage as a result of the baby boomers retiring. one of the places in america where education and teaching has become an explosive issue is washington, d.c. and one of the most distinguished campuses in the country is there. it's howard university. and nbc's norah o'donnell st there now. >> good day to you, tom. we are here at howard university. of course, the leading historic black university in the nation's capitol. how many people here are considering going into teaching? so you can see, tom and secretary duncan, a number of students interested in teaching. a lot of us want to know about incentives. what incentives are there to go into teaching. ? >> yes. thank you. my question is you talked about the incentives to join, but how are you going to make sure after they join it they stay in the classroom? >> great question. we talked about the 9 through 14 school that will be created here

. >>> turning now to education nation. it's a week-long focus by nbc to discuss the state of t nation's schools and the problems they face. according to a new nbc news wall street journal poll the outlook is grim. using a letter grade system, 77% of those responding gave the nation's public schools a c or lower. only 2%gave schools an 58% said major changes or complete overhaul are needed to improve schools. the man who likely will become the next mayor of the district is taking exception to remarks made today by president obama who today said the city's public schools could not give his two daughters the same quality of education they receive in their private school. tom sherwood joins us with the story. >> reporter: jim, the president appeared on "today" this morning. vincent gray wasted no time responding. >> there's been a lot of talk about public schools. charterchools are public schools. >> reporter: while the d.c. chancellor is getting national atttion on nbc's education nation special report th is week, her three y

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a hard look at the country's school system as part of education nation. the president of the national education association as well as former teacher and former first daughter, jenna bush hager. uld guarantee me the best deal on my refinance loan, or pay me $1,000? that would be nice, not getting swindled. um...where are we? don't just think about it. put lendingtree to the test. get the best deal, or $1,000. ♪ we need to finish those projections ♪ ♪ then output the final presentations ♪ ♪ sally, i'm gonna need 40 copies, obviously collated ♪ what's going on? when we're crunched for time, brad combines office celebrations with official business. it's about efficiency. [ courier ] we can help. when you ship with fedex, you can work right up until the last minute. it gives you more time to get stuff done. that's a great idea. ♪ i need to speak with you privately ♪ ♪ i found your resume on the printer ♪ everyone! ♪ i found your resume on the printer ♪ [ male announcer ] we understand.® you need a partner who gives you more time. fedex. at liberty mutual, we k

meanwhile back here in new york, education nation continuing today on the networks of nbc. our country's urban schools are under particular pressure, desperately needing resources. al sharpton is the president and founder of the national action network fighting on the frontlines for schools and students and our teachers. thanks so much. >> thank you. >> reverent sharpton, we focus so much on teachers and the obstacles and the contract disputes and tenure and all those. what can communities and parents do to support our kids? >> if we do not deal with the fact that parents and community must be involved and see this as a critical issue, we can do all that we are talking about with the administrators and teachers and it won't be enough. the national action network and i got involved in serious education reform, part of what i have done is talked to the parents. talked to the disk jockeys and the radio announcers and the minsters. people on the ground. we must create a culture of expectation. we must create a culture where young people understand that it is not only the right t

this is part of nbc's weeklong education nation wich will take an in-depth look at reforming the nation's education system. joining rhee are secretary of education, arnie de duncan, for d.c. city administrator robert bobb and president of the american federation of teachers randi weingarten who has butted heads with rhee in the past. you can watch it here at 10:30. >>> a manassas neighborhood now knows what cause add fire that ripped through theircommunity. on thursday flames jumped from house to house on tillett loop destroying three homes and damaged five othe. darcy spencer got reaction from neighbors after they learned what sparked that fire. >> reporter: fire investigators have determined the blaze that destroyedhree homes in manassas on thursday was caused by a resident who threw a cigarette butt in a potted plant on his deck. >> potting soil is not dirt. potting soil is organic material. the mulch that is in these potted plants sometimes is shredded timber. >reporter: the fire marshal says the blaze in the sumner lake community spread from the potted plant to the deck to the nyl si

. >> including a check on education nation in new york city. >> it is called education nation, a summer to lay the groundwork for fixing america's public schools. >> a week after he threw four interceptions, he draws praise for his work in the fourth quarter. hear how quickly things change in the nfl. >> a flash flood in effect. we have some heavy rain to our south moving in this direction. temperatures in the 70's. get selsun blue for itchy dry scalp. strong itch-fighters target scalp itch while 5 moisturizers leave hair healthy. selsun blue. got a clue? get the blue. (sfx: coach's whistle) "the car coach" - lauren fix. >> in case your car repair shop hasn't noticed - there's been a shift. sfx: shifting. over 70% of women make the car repair decision sf shifting. auto service plus is one auto repair shop that has geared their business to earn women's respect. sfx: shifting. 'cause when it comes to car repair, it's women who are in the driver's seat. announcer >> auto service plus. service you can trust. >> nbc has kicked off a two day event. >> it is called education nation. a gatherin

. >>> and education nation. nbc news takes a special in-depth look at the state of our nation's schools. good morning to you. i'm veronica de la cruz. those stories and much more straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc. >>> and we begin this morning with on the brink. this morning several states in the midwest are trying to stay dry as rivers there are rising to dangerous levels. the situation is particularly precarious along the wisconsin river where one levee built in the 1890s is failing. while it hasn't collapsed, officials don't consider it safe. they recommend evacuation and have warned residents that if the levee breaks, emergency vehicles including police, fire and ambulances will not be able to reach those who stay behind. fortunately water levels are beginning to recede elsewhere in wisconsin where a state of emergency had been declared in several counties. >>> this morning's "new york times" is reporting that federal officials are seeking broader authority to hunt down criminal and terror suspec

voices we've been hearing for the past few days as we here at nbc have been hosting a multi-day "education nationreally has emerged as a big and urgent issue, finally after years of decline and neglige neglect. so much so we wanted you to hear what we've heard and witnessed over the past few days. >> we're looking at elected officials like they're superman. in my house i'm supermom and on good days i'm superdad. so i need us to begin to engage parents in a meaningful, meaningful conversation. >> we have to change the history of these families so it's a history of successes. a history of achievement and all of us have to help. the community has to come together again. and help our kids. >> i really believe that we have to move faster. these kids cannot wait. you know, one year -- [ applause ] one year is too long. >> this country keeps talking about they want a moon shot. they want a sputnik moment. folks, this is it. education is more gradual than a moon shot. remember how the moon shot happened. it was three fellowships of the brightest people in the country to go to universities without borrowi

this morning marks the begning of education nation. a week long focus by nbc news on the nation's school systems. the event kicks off with a two-day summit in rockefeller center. national and local leaders will meet with parents and students to dcuss the problems facing school systems pros the country. d.c. has been at the forefront of this debate. michelle rhee has already voiced her opinion on meet the press. tracee wilkins is live with more. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. michelle rhee is becoming the face of urban school reform. she was featured yesterday on meet the press's panel. during the show we addressedhy she fired hundreds of teachers. moderator david gregory brought fenty's loss and e d.c. primary up. suggesting that a lack of national support may keep other mayors and governors from risking political capital lost through education refm effort. when gregory asked rhee wl she stay on as chancellor, she had this to say. >> i think that's something we still have to determine and i have

we look forward to ur report on nightly news tonight. >>> education nation continues on "nightly newsrian williams at 7:00. why is bill gates spending millions of dollars. you can chime in on the educators that made an impact in your life. >>> tacoma park, maryland is trying to end part of its century old ban on alcohol sales. last night the city council voted to allow businesses to selleer and wine for offsite consumption. that resolution, however, would only apply to sitdown restaurants. the city has allowed sle of onsite alcol consumption since 1983. the resolution will now go before state lawmakers. >>> a howard county couple is suing their landlord over a bed bug infestation. the brow filed a half million dollar lawsuit against the owners and managers of their aparent complex in ellicott city. building managers were supposed to exterminate their apartment as a precaution after a neighbor's unit was treated for bed bugs, b it never happened. the couple and their 3-year-old daughter suffered red, itchy welts from bed bug bites. they eventually had to throw away all their possession

the conversation will be taking place at a place we call education nation learning plaza. it's just across the street from our studio. there it is. that's where we find my colleague jenna wolfe. >> here ware at education plaza. weonverted the plaza into this massive education community right here. it's a pretty large feat and there was a lot involvein putting this together. five days, 120 hours, 200 people working around the clock to construct bically an interacte exhibit about education here on rockefeller plaza. a lot of people have come together.teachers, stents, leaders in politics, business and technology to discuss the challenges and opportunities in education today. so thi learning plaza right here is going to inclu a series of five galleries open to the public and we are going to give you a tour of some of them coming newspaper the next hour. the galleri include interactive tool that is allow you to play around a little bit. not just from here in new york ty. you can get a chance to do some of this stuff fro the confines of your own home as well. we'll give you a to

and those are your fast five headlines. >>> and now to our special series, "education nation." conversation started we have a brand new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll in which it shows a majority of americans are pretty pessimistic about public schools. so take a look. 58% think that public schools grade k through 12 need major changes or complete overhaul. 36% think only minor changes are needed. and then just 5% think public schools are working pretty well. these numbers come against the backdrop of a new documentary that takes a critical look at america's education system. it is called "waiting for superman." we're going to talk more about that. but now nbc news education correspondent rehema ellis joins me live from the plaza with more. and with a good morning to you, you're inside one of those cool kiosks. i know the critics, though, rehema, are calling this documentary very powerful yet controversial. >> you're right, alex. this movie will make some people in the education reform movement stand up and cheer, while some others will cringe. but like it or hate it, this

it's "education nation" here at nbc universal. e education in america. and one of the most critical issues we're facing is the nation's high school dropout rates. the statistics are alarming. a child drops out of school every 11 seconds. think about that. a quarter of u.s. students do not graduate from high school at all. and the class of 2009 dropouts will cost the united states $335 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity. and joining us now to discuss this crisis and two people who have been taking it on, general colin powell and his wife alma powell. welcome to you both. thank you for being here. >> great to be here. >> you guys -- this has obviously been a very exciting week. not only for us, but for the entire education community. but you all have been fighting this fight for a very long time. where are we in 2010? >> we in 2010, are making great strides to alleviate the problem. at america's promise, this has been a concern of ours for a very long time. two years ago, we did a public announcement of these dire statisti

an interview, part of nbc news education nation, programming on concerns about the education system. the president talked about what he wants to see at schools including identifying teachers who do well and getting rid of those who don't. he also discussed an idea that probably won't sit so well with most kids. >> i think we should have longer school years. we now have our kids go to school about a month less than most other advanced countries. and that month take as difference. >> don't forget, our coverage of education nation continues on the "today" show and on nbc "nightly news"right here on this nbc station. and for morews resources and information, check out our special website -- educationnation.com. >>> palestinian president mahmoud abbas says he will wait at least one week before deciding whether or not to quit middle east peace talks with israel. that development comes after the united states, france, england and the united nations all expressed disappointment over israel's refusal to extend a 10-month building freeze on settlement construction in the west bank. meanwhile,

. >> education nation at nbc. we're taking on the toughest issues facing your kids' education today and throughout the week. >>> plus, sarah palin going dancing. did she get the star treatment? >>> and move over bed bugs. there's a new insect invasion, stink bugs. >>> good tuesday morning to you. i hope we didn't scare you off. i'm richard lui filling in for chris jansing on this day. hoping to energize voters that head to the polls five weeks from today. hit five states in two days beginning with a backyard discussion in new mexico. last night the last word with lawrence o'donnell vice president joe biden talked about the high stakes for his party. >> a lot of democrats who might have been thinking about doing exactly what a lot of republicans did. not show up and vote in the primary. well, this is a wake-up call to democrats. we have to show up and we have to make our case and focus on the differences, not the personalities. >> nbc mike vukvukiera is in ne mexico. >> let's continue with what joe biden told lawren

this documentary could be the talk of this big summit we're hosting here next week called education nation. it's controversial. it's powerful. and it arrives just as the debate over education turns red hot. our education correspondent rehema ellis has our report. >> i don't care what i have to do, i don't care how many jobs i have to attain, but she will go to college. >> reporter: it's a film about the dreams of millions of families told through the eyes of a few. >> i want to be a nurse, i want to be a doctor. >> reporter: "waiting for superman" shows how five kids and their parents, from harlem to silicon valley, struggle to get out of failing neighborhood schools and into public charter schools. daisy, a fifth grader, whose parents dropped out of high school, is desperate to avoid her district middle school in l.a. >> by the time she leaves stephenson, only 13% of her classmates will be proficient in math. >> reporter: the cruel reality is, the children's dreams are tied to the luck of the lottery. the director, davis gugenheim, also directed the oscar winning documentary about global

take care. >>> "education nation." ntry, including what americans think about the job public schools are doing, and they're all coming up next on msnbc sunday. ♪ [ male announcer ] ever have morning pain slow you down? ♪ introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid, specially formulated to fight morning pain and fatigue. ♪ so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever. >>> nbc is kicking off a nationally broadcast in-depth conversation about improving education in america today, and it's called "education nation." during an interactive summit out there on rockefeller plaza parents, teachers, and students will come together with leaders in politics and business to discuss the challenges and opportunities in education today. and on this morning's "meet the press" moderator david gregory asked the secretary of education, arne duncan, about the status of the public school system and where we are in terms of reform. >> we've made tremendous progress, but let me be clear, da

it's called education nation. at rockefeller plaza and includes a two-day summit and nationally broadcast town hall on sunday moderated by brian williams. >> you know, when you think about education, there are some people doing amazing work all across the country. we want to showcase that because we think there are some great lessons to be learned there. >> reporter: and solutions. >> i don't know people appreciate how valuable teachers are. they are the ones inspiring our children. ♪ can you read >> reporter: at this knowledge is power or k.i.p. charter public school, the use of music, extended class hours and hard work are motivating students who once struggled to make the grade. >> i feel really good doing it because i like being challenged. >> when i go to college i want to be, yep, i got all my work done and in fifth grade i was thinking about this. >> reporter: new ways of learning and teaching that could make a bigger difference when shared across the nation. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> our edu

the nation decided the way to get there is with a better educated workforce. do it. finland's blueprint included a tough national curriculum, masters degrees for all teachers, with up to three teachers per class. two focus on instruction, the third works with students who are struggling. the result -- there's no such thing as a failing school in finland. officials say finland has a collective national will to education all students. and a plan to succeed. there's a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom and continuity. >> i can be a better teacher when i teach them for a longer period. >> reporter: many students stay with the same teacher for several years. >> use english as much as possible. >> reporter: the average student speaks four languages, including english. and inland spends about $3,000 less per pupil than american schools do. so how do they achieve more? education experts credit involved parents. do you push your son? >> perhaps sometimes, yes, to be honest. >> reporter: equally important, they say, is the finnish culture that values education. >> teach

be sure to check out education nation at msnbc.com. you can send us your thoughts plus look up your child's school to find out how it is doing. we have the latest pictures for you from a fire fight between u.s. marines and taliban ins insurgents in afghanistan on sunday. the soldiers were forced to take cover as they came under fire from at least three locations. they fought back with rocks and machine gunfire. that battle occurred in the southern afghan town widely considered part of the taliban heart land. no casualties were reported in that. >>> back to grass roots. president obama taps young and midwestern voters hoping for a midterm victory. is it too little, too late? or perfect timing? >>> stay down. stay down. >> calm under fire. a plane's equipment fails, but the captain doesn't. ♪ i throw my hands up in the air sometimes ♪ >>> plus, one jump is certainly bad enough, but not for this bungee jumper who plunges into the record books. that and more next on msnbc. replant a forest? maybe you want to rebuild homes for those in need

education nation week on nbc.ht a look at chancellor michelle reed's resumÉ, successes and setbacks and another reason for people to worry, using the internet to diagnose aches and pains could be the sign of a more serious problem. those stories are coming up in a few minutes. building wind farms and expanding cln energy manufacturing. buin america, gridlock has held us back. now, the senate can change that - by passing a renewable electricity standard. it will spur development oflean energy and boost manufacturing in america, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. so we can make o own energy future - not just buy it from china. call your senators and urge them to pass a renewable electricity standard today. growing, evolving, literally transforming our lives. w imagine the possibilities of what tomorrowould bring. at at&t, we support a core set of standards that will guide the internet into the future... to protect users, and reward innovators, for years to come. we support a fair and open internet - afforda

the president joined matt lauer for an interview, part of nbc's education nation, a special week of programming on concerns over the education system. the president talks about what he wants to see happening at schools including identifying teachers who do well and getting rid of those that don't. he also talked about something that probably didn't sit well with kids. >> i think we should have longer school years. we now have our kids go to school about a month less than most other advanced countries. and that month makes a difference. >> don't forget, our coverage of education nation continues throughout the day. for more resources and information, check out our special website, educationnation.com. >>> the number two in command was talking democratic strategy yesterday. last night lawrence asked president joe biden what he meant that the gop democrats are facing this year are "not their grandfather's republican party. >> what i really said was that this is not even your father's republican party. these folks don't want to talk. these folks don't want to enter into a compromise. these folks do

. >>> "education nation." the parents who went to extremes to protect teachers whose jobs were on the line. >>> and leading man. remembering one of the greats. tony curtis. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. it's as if a monster storm hopped on i-95 and drove it right up the east coast. last night at this time it was in miami. it has rocketed north, skirting the atlantic. a relentless water pump. we're coming to you from washington tonight where the potomac river, not far from here, is dangerously high, within sight of the national monument. streets are flooded all over the region. the winds are high enough to have already caused damage and it's still motoring north and there's more on the way. nbc's tom costello starts us off in chevy chase, maryland tonight. tom, good evening. >> good evening to you. in fact, the east coast has been struggling through drought conditions, but today it got hammered. it started out with heavy rain, then flash flood and tor

new york mayor michael bloomberg turned some heads as he addressed the education nation summit being put on here in new york by nbc news. he says he plans to put teachers to task and make them earn their tenure. i want to get to education in just a second, but first let's talk politics, both the president and the vice president are out there trying to galvanize the youth vote that helped them get elected in 2008. but 25% of young voters are certain they'll go to vote. is his strategy likely to pay off in the long run? >> it's disappointing the number of people that turn out in elections. >> don't the democrats need it? >> i think the democrats need to explain why they should be carrying on and republicans have to explain why they should be given the opportunity to do it. the public is frustrated, no question about that. we have too many people who have lost their jobs, lost their houses, the public doesn't have confidence in the future, the first time they think maybe their children won't have a better life than they did and that's the president's job to go out there and explain why h

entertainment and design from some of the world's most innovative thinkers. >> when we return, our education nation continues. we'll answer your small business education questions. two of the students from the yale entrepreneurial institute step into our elevator. they will pitch their start-up company that pitches healthy snacks for kids. ♪ [trumpet playing "reveille" throughout] reviving the economy means reinventing the way we do business. here's to the owners showing us the way. [trumpet playing "reveille" fades to silence] ♪ my favorite snack is my favorite snack now ♪ >>> earlier, we told you about the yale institute and how it prepares students to be entrepreneurs. let's see if they can make the grade. >> hi, i'm isadora tang. >> we have a company that aims to make delicious healthy foods more affordable and accessible. kids lunch options are dominated by high fat items. not what you want to think about when feeding your kids. we address it by combining the best elements of mom's home cooked meals into prepackaged foods. >> customers want healthy lunches for their kids. in january, we'll see

. >>> it's education nation on nbc this week, where we focus on the state of education across the country. one in four kids deals with bullies in school on a regular basis. bullying often takes a toll on academics with nearly 8% of students missing one day of class per month out of fear. teachers have said enough is enough. nbc's kelly reports on how some are stopping bullying before it starts. >> i have 36 of you here today telling me that you would like to help the mission of our schools. >> reporter: these 6th graders are vying for highly sought after jobs at their elementary school. >> part of what we call a caring majority. >> reporter: the chance to become caring majority ambassador to spread the word that caring is cool, and bullying is not. >> well, i'm trying to get the kids to understand that something must be done and should never be ignored. >> they don't know they get get picked on again and again. >> reporter: what's different here is the school focuses on the bully and the bullied, but focuses on the other kids that might be witnessing the bullying in the first place. if yo

accud in the 2004 murder of a chevy chase therapist. >>> this morning marks the beginning of education nation. it's a week-long focus by nbc news on the nation's school systems. the event kicked off today with a two-day summit in new york city's rockefellerplaza. throughout the week, national and local educators will meet with government leaders, parents and students to discuss the problems facing schools today. >>> and it seems americans are becoming less and less confident in our public school system. accordinto aews 4 nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, 77% of the nation give the public schools a c grade or lower. 58% believe major changes or a complete overhaul would be needed to make things better. this morning the "today" show, matt lauer sat down with president obama to talk about education reform. he also answered questions from teachers like whether or not his children would get the same education at a d.c. public school as opposed to a private school. >> i'll belunt with you. e answer is no right now. the dc. public school systems are struggling. now, they have made some important

nbc news will host education nation, a national broadcast indepth convsation about improving education sunday, september 26th on the networks of nbc. for now, for us, that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. as always, hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. orrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com four years ago, bob ehrlich got fired as governor of maryland. for good reason.

i'm mariano ruiz and i'm a meg whitman success story. >>> it's education nation on nbc this week, and we'll focusing on the state of education all across our country. tonight we're going to take a look at controversy over charter schools. over the last ten years the number of public charter schools has increased dramatically, and now the obama administration is encouraging more states to adopt them, but as nbc's rehema ellis shows us, some educators say charter schools are not worth their weight in results. >> noble academy charter school in euclid, ohio, has 240 students, a waiting list and 100% of its students have passed the state's reading test. >> i can say it is mostly from the help of the teachers and the support of the parents. >> reporter: charter schools are public schools that are federally funded but privately run. 5,000 charter schools operate in 39 states and washington, d.c., serving more than 1.5 million students and 300,000 more are on waiting lists. >> it is that partnership between parents and teachers in the community to come together in an area where maybe traditi

education nation this week is focusing on scools. orking, what's notnd ho to improve education in the u.s. our guests are experts in education. dr. leslie finwick, bryan jones, the chair of the d.c. public charter school board, and we also have with us senior director of community and school-based programs at central. welcome to all of you. welcome back to "view point." great to see you all. let's start with sobering sta tis particulars out there. the u.s. ranks 25th in math, 25 21st in science compared to other countries in the world. we have eighth graders 68% of them not reading at grade level. the big question, how did we get there and how did we lose our competitive edge, do you think? il start with you, dean. >> quality teachers are at the nexus of all of this. before we measure student outcomes on tests that we should be measuring stent access to credentialed teachers. we know about 70% of black, brown, and poor children are more likely to not have a teacher certified teaching them math,science, social studies and english. and

. >> live in new york for education nation. the united states wants a world leader in public education and it's now failing our children. of the world's 34 developed economies, american students ranked 24th in math, 17th in science, 10th in literacy. the public knows this all too well. in the "wall street journal" poll, an astounding 77%, more than 3/4 of the question give our schools a c, d, or an f grade. the man with a daunting challenge is here with me now. education secretary arnie duncan. for for participating in the conversations for education nation. as the key leader, you are showing us the way. let's talk about the rankings. finland, south korea singapore have 100% ratings of getting the top third students to choose to be teachers. we have something like 21% of the top third graduates going into primary education. how do we change that? >> we have to elevate the profession and make the teach prog fegzprofession. they are getting the hardest working and the best of the best and they are staying there. somewhere along th

. >>> and "education nation" a place where teachers and students have stunning succes what's their secret? >>> something you should know before heading to vegas. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

president barackbama appeared on the "today" show as part of nbc's education nation series. >> the father of two seemingly bright daughters, i want to know whether or not you think malia and sasha would get the same highuality education at a d.c. private school compared to the elite private academy they are attending now. >> thanks for the question, kelly. and i'll be blunt wi you. the answer is no right now. the d.c. public schools are struggling. >> reporter: although critical of the system as a whole, improvemes have been made in recent years. >> now they have made some important strides over the last several years to move in the direction of reform. there are some terrific individual schools in the d.c. system. and that's true, by the way, in every city across the coury. >> reporter: council chairman vincent gray, who was expected to become the mayor-elect in november, said the president's comments are disappointing. >> i did hear the comment, and oovx we wish he would rethink that. because we do think we have some excellent schools, both in traditional public school and charter schoo

to learn more about education nation and connect with schools in your area, visit our editorial pagebc editorials.com. >>> hey, this is sharks coach todd mcclellan. you're watching "sports sunday" with raj. >>> hello, everybody, welcome to "sports sunday." this is the late edition. we're coming to you from our nbc bay area studios. thanks for joining us tonight. i'm raj mathai. plenty of reason to be ticked off tonight. we will allow you to vent. there is also some great stories unfolding tonight and into the week. mike singletary, here is the bad stuff, actually might be good stuff. vowing to make changes. be careful. losing some of his equity within the 49er fan base. nower for upside. six games with a half-game lead. can they hold on for dear life? what lies ahead for matt cain and giants. they are back in the bay area late tonight. >>> and we have two guests tonight. jim harbaugh, the stanford head coach, stanford ranked ninth in the nation. pretty sweet. and brandi chastain. a big day for women's soccer in the bay area. whether we start with the 49ers.

the focus, of course, education nation.nd msnbc launched a big week of events highlighting the deteriorating state of our public schools. and our new nbc news "wall street journal" poll, a c or worse and a quarter of people giving public schools a "a" or "b." a majority of folks, 65% are willing to pay higher dwal taxes to directly improve american schools. >> money alone won't get it done n. aex collusive interview with matt

education. nbc takes a special in-depth look at the state of our nation's schools. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> hello and a very good morning to you. i'm veronica dell a cruise. today we begin with on the brink. residents are trying to stay drive as rivers are trying to rise to dangerous levels. one levee built in the 18 # 0s has. it has warneded residents that if the levee brings merge vehicles including police, fire, and balances will not be able to reach those who stay behind. waters are beginning to reseed elsewhere where emergencies had been declared. >>> this morning they're seeking broader authority to track down. to design their network so fbi officials can monitor suspects if the companies are served with a wire tap order. right now those services ewing what's known as peer to peer software are difficult to intercept because they're not rooted through a central hub. according to the times, the bill which the obama administration plans to submit next year raises fres fresh questions. >> well, the bishop of a georgia mega church has broke

phoenix, an educated world is a better world. >> and we're back now at 8:08 with our series education nationus back to elementariaial school. >> i went to elementary school in california where administrators, teachers and parents work as a team to make sure each child is getting the best education possible. >> we're looking at pre-columbian native american tribes. >> history is the focus of "today's" class. >> who can tell me in group one or six what type of food they had. >> corn? >> reporter: it hasn't always been this easy for adam, he struggled in kindergarten and first grade. >> she ask, do you mind if i pull him after school and i'll work with him, and i said, of course. >> teachers collaborate with parents, they collaborate with me, they collaborate with each other. >> the principal of thomas jefferson elementary oversees nearly 600 children. jefferson's average class size has expanded dramatically in the last ten years, from 20 students per teacher to 32 in the fourth and fifth grade classes. that's why she emphasizes team work among teachers and parents to make sure no parent is lef

nice work, bob. >>> more now on nbc's special week long education nation.hat can tell you whether your child's school makes the grade or falls short. this tool helps parents at home listening right now free find out how well their school is doing. it's a ranking system, how does it work? >> essentially you and obviously family engagement is critically important, so getting parents to understand the data. so as you go into the score card, you type in the school and the area that you live in. what we need parents to understand is how can they have a qualified conversation with their educator and their school administrators to know how their child is doing. >> you type in the name of your own child's school or any other school that you're interested in. which we have done here and it will then pull-up the school and it will give us information on how well the school's doing on standardized tests, well how the school is doing compared to other schools and districts in the area. and as we scroll down, give a range of other information, how does that district com

this morning, we kick off a week-long commitment at nbc news to "education nation." we will try to cut to the core of the crisis in public education. this weekend's opening of the emotional documentary, "waiting for superman," is a powerful reminder that too many schools are failing our children, and america's competitiveness is suffering as a result. are resources the answer? facebook founder mark zuckerburg announced he'll donate $100 million to newark, new jersey's schools. how do we make sure the best teachers are in the classroom? what reforms are working? and what can each one of us do to help? our discussion with around secretary of education, arne duncan, and leading reformer and chancellor of washington, d.c. schools, michelle rhee, randi weingarten, president of the federation of teachers. and robert bobb, emergency financial manager of detroit public schools. nbc-universal television >>> but first, to politics and the fight for congress. will the house, in this divided campaign season, fall to the gop? if so, what will republicans do in power? this week, re