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That lead this country do pinpoint need to focus on teacher training. we need to make sure that we focus resource the kids who need them the most. we need to extend the school day and school year and we need to make sure that all kids like my daughter here in d.c. have access to free universal pre-k. that's what the debate should be about. what i'm hoping that conversation between gray and rhee or gray and fenty will be about. >> to be continued. we'll have our own education summit right here at the end of september and we'll be addressing all of these issues more deeply continuing to. thank y...

Make it and after they've been helped, of course you have to have due process but you have to sever somebody from employment. the issue is that we know we have to have great teachers, but we also have to have more than great teachers because we can't do it alone and we have to have good curriculum, the kind of wrap-around services that kids need to eradicate barriers to success. but i thought the president really tried to change the tone yesterday and i was very pleased by that. >> i also want to ask you about the firing here in d.c., 241 teachers, 165 of them for not making the grade. michell...

241 teachers were fired. 165 for not making -- not passing that test, if you will. it's a subjective test plus a written test. the teacher's union is appealing that, saying that, in fact, the test, they did not have the opportunity to be properly evaluated, under your own standards. >> right. a lot of what we're hearing from the union right now is that we rushed to do this. that teachers, that ineffective teachers should have been given more time to improve their practice. but for me, i think the children of washington, d.c., have waited too long to get a quality education and as long as i am ...

Reforms are a central issue in this mayoral race. and there's no guarantee that if the current mayor is not re-elected that you'll stay on. >> that's right. mayor fenty has committed to keeping me on board and i've committed to him as well. and i think the most important thing for people to understand is that in order for these reforms to çcontinue, we have have a leader who is ready to make the hard calls and who is not going to be afraid of the opposition that sometimes comes with that. >> you're a major figure, as is jeffrey canada and a lot of the other people who have been involved in c...

Budgets are tight. and so are the streets. did he just swipe that car? think that's bad? check out this side of town, where you could say the working folks live. this is main street america. and folks here are still waiting for their snow bailout. i couldn't help but ask -- are we talking about snow or are we talking about politics in congress? >> wow. they've got so much on their plates. >> reporter: her suggestion? congress should start a snow commission. >> i think so. why not? >> reporter: would they get anything done? >> well, they're as stuck as we are. so, they should. >> reporter: jess...