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President Barack Obama smiles during a roundtable discussion on K-12 education with Clark County teachers Claritssa Sanchez, foreground left, Lori Elizabeth Henrickson, and Isaac Barron at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012.
By Tovin Lapan (contact) 
Published Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 | 10:36 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 | 11:32 a.m.
President Obama waves as he boards Air Force One to depart Las Vegas from Nellis Air Force Base, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012.
The line to get into President Barack Obama’s first official Southern Nevada campaign stop of 2012 started before sunrise, and by 7 a.m. snaked through the Canyon Springs High School parking lot requiring several campaign staffers to manage its shifting branches.
The gym was packed an hour later and chants of “O-ba-ma!” “Yes we can!” and “Four more years,” seeped through the doors, teasing those still waiting outside in intermittent rain.
Before delivering a 25-minute speech, Obama met privately with a group of teachers, and his comments afterwards focused on education.
“We are a better country than one that short changes the next generation just so we can shower tax cuts on folks who are already wealthy,” Obama said.
Obama said presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney “doesn’t think our children’s education is worth investing in.”
“Governor Romney said we’ve got enough teachers; we don’t need more,” Obama said.
Before the president took the stage, songs such as “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder and Wilco’s “I Got You,” along with a series of speakers including State Sen. Steven Horsford, helped energize the crowd. An estimated 2,100 people filled the gym, and more than 600 others watched from an overflow room, according to North Las Vegas Police figures released by the Obama campaign.
“President Obama understands that a good education cannot be a luxury,” said Horsford, who is battling Republican Danny Tarkanian for the 1st District congressional seat. The president, Horsford reminded the crowd, has worked to expand federal grants for college and other education initiatives, including allowing states like Nevada to obtain waivers to the “top-down mandates” of No Child Left Behind.
“We worked with Democrats and Republicans to fix No Child Left Behind,” Obama said. “Here in Nevada a waiver has been granted, because we want high standards but we don’t want teachers teaching to the test.”
One of the teachers Obama met with before his speech, Claritssa Sanchez, introduced the president.
“When I first started teaching five years ago my class sizes were about 33 students per class,” said Sanchez, who teaches 10th-grade world history and government at Canyon Spring. “Today I walk into a classroom with about 45 students … I wish (Gov. Romney) could spend one day in my classroom and see what its really like. When he says class sizes don’t even matter, I want to know why he thinks he knows what’s better for students than us teachers.”
Cles Saunders, a retired electrician, left his Pahrump home at 5 a.m. and arrived at 6:15 a.m. to find a line already forming outside at the high school. Saunders said he was particularly interested in the issue of education.
“I’d like to see tuition rates lowered, student debt lowered, and, in some instances, forgiven,” said Saunders, who was wearing a button depicting Obama in a Superman costume. “Progress is key, and the Republican Party has really been the party of ‘no.’”
At one point, about 10 minutes into the president’s comments, a heckler started shouting out and was forcibly removed from the gymnasium. By the end of Obama’s speech, though, his supporters were drowning out the president’s final words with boisterous chants.
Romney, who campaigned in North Las Vegas earlier this month, was scheduled to make campaign stops Wednesday in Iowa and Arkansas.
Several polls in the past week have Romney and Obama within the margin of error of each other, deadlocked with fewer than 80 days until the election.
Obama arrived in Nevada on Tuesday, and he spoke at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno before flying Tuesday night into Nellis Air Force Base. The president stayed overnight at Lake Las Vegas.
With this morning's speech behind him, Obama returned to Nellis and boarded Air Force One in a heavy thunderstorm. At 11:20 a.m., his jet departed Nellis en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where he is scheduled to attend a campaign event tonight at Lincoln Center.
The current two-day swing in Nevada is Obama’s sixth trip this year to the state, but his first official campaign visit of the year.
BO rant on a tax cut for the wealthy is getting tiresome. Have u ever gotten a job fr a poor person? Has BO ever worked beside the GOV? The guy is a fraud. No one ever saw him at Columbia. The earlier we see this the better off we are Speaking of frauds Berkley( who funded money to her WEALTHY DR HUSBAND) and Sleaze REID who in 40 + yrs of working for the GOV is a multimillionaire . His response "I made good investments" he doesn't mention his land deal and his inside stock deals.
I think you guys are going to be awfully unhappy and angry the day after election. I just don't see Romney winning...but, time will tell.
If Mitt loses it will be a lesson learned for Republicans for future elections. If you can't beat the most liberal president in 70 years during an economic crisis that continues to this day...what can you beat?
The Federal Dept of Education hasn't done anything to make johnny read, rite or rithmatic any better since Carter created it. It wouldn't be missed.
This: ""Yes we can!"
Should be: "We didn't but give us another hack at?!!!??"
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack
Mr. O once said teachers should be able to work up to $100K in compensation--for GOOD teachers than get results. Well CCSD is ALREADY PAYING $96k and not to GOOD teachers--just people who've checked a few more seat-warming class room "completions" and now demand higher pay.
I caught the news clip where they jammered about small class sizes. They were WRONG again and misrepresenting reality. There is NO EVIDENCE that class size matters in RESULTS. Sure, teachers prefer fewer students to track, grade....but there is NO EVIDENCE that ... There is evidence that GOOD TEACHERS with LARGE CLASSES result in much better learning.
I believe just about EVERYONE is in favor of providing a good education for our children and are willing to pay for it.
HOWEVER, when this country spends MORE than any other per pupil and our RANKINGS are 20th or WORSE in most categories then we, the taxpayers, have a RIGHT TO, and DEMAND to know why there is such a disconnect.
Until those in the public education sector can provide a reconciliation, and recommendations for improvements, then the public will continue to battle you over providing ever increasing funding.
We are simply not going to funnel more money in your pockets with decreasing results...no matter how much the unions cry or how many arbitrators you bring in.
CAPICHE????
stopthebs----agreed!!!!!
Obama needs to talk about the economy....Quit lying about medicare and raising taxes......This clown lies about anything and everything and pumps up all the other items that need the growth of the economy to generate more taxes to enable it to grow....One of those things is education......It will grow in budget when taxes grow and not until!!!!
Tell the truth and not all the dribble you and your campaign keep spouting! How about running on your record! Oh that's right you don't have one!!!
@ Judy...
"Mark - you are a typical right wing TEA Bagger who has incredible difficulty with reality. Quit dribbling."
Ha ha ha!!!
Truth!
Hey, TeaNutz...
Remember when Bill O'Reilly, the Neo-Nut of Fox, had THIS to say...
O'Reilly Slams Tea Party's 'Hateful Rhetoric,' Warns GOP 'Craziness' Is Just Helping Obama'...
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/0...
It was one of Bill's 'moments of sanity', and he was right on the Rmoney!
So, keep up your propaganda campaign...
but remember O'Reilly's words;
'your just helping Obama'!
THANKS!
"We are a better country than one that short changes the next generation just so we can shower tax cuts on folks who are already wealthy," Obama said.
Yup...
Obama/Biden
Because the alternative is DISASTER!
So this thread is a movie review?
Grassroots and community organizing will win Nevada and the election for President Obama. Most of the 2600 enthusiastic attendees are active volunteers with topnotch skills. How many of the posters on this thread volunteer for the Nevada GOP or donate to Romney? Never mind. The ranters about imaginary Marxists would just scare the voters.
So how about it UNIONS and PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINS...WHEN are you going to explain to the taxpayers WHY we spend MORE $$ per student in the world but end up with SUBSTANDARD results????
The answer is YOU ARE NOT because it would expose your greedy, corrupt, wasteful system that you have spent decades building...PROVE ME WRONG....'splain it to me LUCY.....I call you out specifically OBAMA...why don't YOU expalin this disparity????
My grandsons are half black......I am white. I love my grandsons, but I still will not vote for Obama and his lame policies....So if all you have is the race card then you sure don't have a lot! Do you? Look at his record and quit throwing the race card, some people look a lot further than the color of his skin and do not like what they see.....His policies suck......
Educators were given a reprieve with the federal funding that was spent two years ago....The grant or what ever it was expired. The state could not replace the money and now all those teachers across the country were let go. The Obama administration did not replace the grant....Oh yes he forgot to tell you that part....Didn't he?
This is not Vietnam folks, or Finland. We have a very diverse Society with many different cultures. Many of which learn in different ways. Something the Educational system here is failing to deliver (no accident).
Course pumping more money into a broken system tends to make people think the best answer is to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Extremists are using the same game plan to attack, and they hope destroy, most of our Public Institutions. From Education, to Public Lands, to Social Security and even Roads. They spew all sorts of misleading stats to make it all look like the systems are failing, but they are not.
Extremists bent on destroying America would compare an apple with a rainbow and say the apple is more colorful. These people will also claim Obama is trying to destroy America and is doing so by supporting education. That is the upside down world of the extremist.
I was I could press a "Like" button for TEA.
Instead I will just pull a lever in November.
AMERICA'S COMEBACK TEAM
"It's all about how Obama grew up hangin' with socialists, communists, marxists and unrepentent 60's terrorists."
You mean like Daniel Ellsberg? Ellsberg is one of the greatest sources of moral virtue for the last century. Julian Assange will be among those nominated for this century. If you can't see the light, try using both hands next time, hang on hard and pull straight down.
Glad to see the president hasn't changed... still pandering for votes instead of leading. This guy has spent more time campaigning than his two predecessors combined in each of their first terms. I guess there is no need to govern when one can delegate the running of the country to the White House staff and Harry Reid.
TEA is onto something again. How about TEACHERS rewarding students who perform--instead of dumbing down to the lowest denominator. If kids behave, compliment them. If students do their homework, compliment them by name. If students do their homework well, use those gold stars and blue ribbons. And while we're on it, just what are we supposed to believe teachers buy for their class rooms that cost thousands and thousands of dollars? Their "business" clothes? OK, I'll grant that a few might buy chalk but I don't see kids receiving expensive school supplies and I don't see same used in class rooms.
@stopthebs. How many school district budgets have been passed by NEA, or by NSEA, or by CCEA? The answer is easy, NONE!!!! Budgets are passed by the elected boards that are selected by the voters. If you don't like the budget or results, vote them out. A teacher only has the resources provided by the district. A teacher uses the curriculum approved by the board.
@Roslenda. My high school students will laugh at gold stars and blue ribbons. You keep making statements, but don't provide links to support your asserations. Let other people look at your sources so we can evaluate them. Teachers may not spend "thousands and thousands" of dollars, but getting ready for this school year, I have spent well over $100 on basic supplies, supplemental materials that are related to my curriculum, and on posters that are "how to examples." If you do your job, do you expect your boss to compliment you for it?
I find it amusing that Obama CLAIMS to support people getting an education, but slams Romney on his drive to further our educations at any cost, even if it means borrowing from our parents- scoffing him and saying "Get real, Mitt". Blatant hypocracy from our liar in chief.
@dpo. How many of us have parents that are in a financial position to loan thousands of dollars to pay for college? Maybe, millionaires like Romney. Did he loan money to his kids to send them to college?
WOW! WOW! WOW!
PRESIDENT OBAMA KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK.
AGAIN!!!
Great speech by the best president in our
lifetime.
Romney/Ryan want to cut education funding by
20%.
Anti-education republicans want to dumb down our
kids but NOT their rich kids who they put in
private schools.
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SUPPORT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS!
NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN!
TEA.....
We already understand our great president.
He loves our country.
We also understand the desperation that you serve
up here.
You Obama bashers already lost.
PRESIDENT OBAMA saved our country from republican
greed and stupidity.
We're not going back to that.
DEMOCRATS FOREVER!!!
We never left it Teamster, the greed and stupidity.
Doesn't it strike you folks just how BORING this campaign is? Here we have Obama in Vegas and he talks "education"? really? good issue but probably not even in the top 5 most here are concerned with.
These Presidential appearances are insulting to be honest. Talk bloody issues and end this catering to people who are already going to vote for you, like members of Teachers Union.
Obama was here last October http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct... and proposed what looked like a terrific plan to put our housing market back in order. Course the Party of No said NO and Obama hasn't mentioned it since. To me that shows Obama really doesn't give a hoot. If he did he would have fought for this. Instead he doesn't even mention it anymore.
70% of this town is underwater and he comes here talking Education? Insulting.
"As ThinkProgress previously reported, U.S. Senate candidate Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin (R-MO) believes the federal government should "end its support for school lunch programs," His vote reflects his hostility towards the idea that the richest country in the world should ensure that its children have adequate nutrition."
Also, in 1984 Todd Akin earned a Master of Divinity degree at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. During college he was member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity....(a Master of Divinity?)
School lunches are considered an "entitlement" to many conservatives. Here is someone who feels that Obama is destroying America with liberal programs. Maybe these children should be working at a car wash after school to pay for the baloney sandwiches?
No wonder the religious right hates Obama.
"We have created the world's newest financial aristocracy, a class that has successfully put itself beyond the reach of government constraint and can do pretty much whatever it wants " in pursuit of its own personal gain."
From the book: "The Betrayal of the American Dream" Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele.
The wealthy, as an overwhelming majority, want to pull the ladder up into their tree house and cut the path off for everyone who hasn't made it 'yet'.
No wonder they hate Obama.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate
N. Las Vegas is broke. These same teachers voted to throw younger teachers under the bus because they are selfish. Now they complain about class size to someone who is spending our money on phony photo ops.
Taxpayers have no obligation to pay for higher ed. And, no obligation to pay for loans. Many of these "students" are completely non-performers. Some may have the ability, but they've never done anything. Many can't even make the grade in K-12. So why on earth should we pour thousands more into loans, grants, work-study? I'd support a sane system of working their way through community college or tech school so they can work their way through four-year degrees and such. If they can't work their way through, why "educate" them further? Let's use our limited resources in the more productive ways--such as assisting the gifted and productive, not the run-of-the-mill non-performers.
@TEA- Obama losing in Minnesota? Not going to happen. There hasn't been a single poll that suggests Romney is even close. Neither is Romney going to get 320 electoral votes. In fact, I haven't seen a single respected political scientist who thinks that if Romney wins, he'll get over 280 or so electoral vote.
Check out Nate Silver, a statistician who crunches data for a living, and who is a heck of a lot smarter than all of us (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com). He currently has Obama winning about 290 electoral votes.
At www.electoral-vote.com, professor Tannenbaum has Obama getting 297.
Or, if you want a conservative guy, check out www.electionprojection, where he has Obama getting 303 votes.
Facts (or intelligent opinions) must be annoying to you tea-partiers... they always seem to get in the way of your insanity!
I attended the Obama visit at Canyon Springs high school on Aug 22nd. I am wondering if anyone else did? Was your car covered in spots (paint like tiny spots - brown colored) from parking in the parking lot. It was raining that day a lot...but my car white paint job is completely ruined with these tiny specks of brown all over it. I fear it was a vandalism that happened that day. Anyone else experience that on their cars? It is impossible to remove, so far, off the car.
Thank you for any responses. My direct email is socal995@aol.com - if you had the same thing happen at that event. Thank you so much. Barb