国际英语新闻：Obama lays out U.S. education reform agenda

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday laid out the details of his plan to overhaul the country's education system "from the cradle up through a career."

    "We have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short and other nations outpace us," Obama said in an address to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce here.

    "The time for finger-pointing is over. The time for holding ourselves accountable is here," he added.

    The president outlined a five-tier reform plan, starting with increased investments in early childhood initiatives.

U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands after speaking at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 19th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington March 10, 2009.

    Obama highlighted a proposal to offer 55,000 first-time parents "regular visits from trained nurses to help make sure their children are healthy and prepare them for school and life."

    The president also pledged to boost federal support in the form of "Early Learning Challenge" grants to states that develop plans to strengthen early education programs.

    Second, Obama called for an end to "what has become a race to the bottom in our schools" through lower testing standards.

    His third tier focused on teacher training and recruitment.

    Fourth, Obama called for the promotion of educational "innovation and excellence" by renewing his campaign pledge to support charter schools.

    Finally, there is the plan for higher education in which the president promised to boost college access by raising the maximum Pell Grant award to 5,550 dollars a year and indexing it above inflation.

    In promoting his reform, Obama called for an end to the "partisanship and petty bickering" that many observers believe has typically defined education policy debates in the past.

    Education reform is one of the signature campaign promises he made when running for the president.