Obama pushes $1.35-billion expansion of education plan

"Nothing will make as much of a difference as the way we educate our sons and daughters," Obama said after meeting with children at an elementary school in Falls Church, Va. "The countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, and I refuse to let that happen on my watch."

Under the administration's Race to the Top program, states are competing for a share of $4.35 billion in federal funding aimed at spurring public schools to make student achievement the core of their programs. That potentially could include evaluating -- and paying -- teachers according to how well students perform.

The initial funding was included in the economic stimulus package Obama signed into law in February. Tuesday was the deadline for states to apply for that money.

The president plans to include the additional $1.35 billion for the program in the fiscal 2011 budget, which he is due to propose next month. The extra funding would enable more states, as well as individual school districts, to apply for some of the money, the White House said.