Education is the foundation of the success of the next generation. President Obama called education and innovation the "currency of the 21st century," emphasizing how investment in the education of the public brings benefits to the future of the country as a whole. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, U. S. Department of Education gave out more than $750 million last week to three states to preserve teaching jobs and provide education reform for their school systems. Oklahoma received $317 million, Montana $81 million and Louisiana got $388 million. "The Recovery Act investments in our students and our schools will have a huge payoff in the years ahead," said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that careers in education will be stable and grow steadily over the next several years due to better pay, more involvement in school policy and a greater emphasis on teaching among the public. Job growth for teachers from kindergarten to secondary school is expected to rise at about 12% from 2006-2016.  |