From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Education, state finance, and teacher bashing.

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

The top priority for most Americans is education, but public school teachers around the country

say the past two years have been a nightmare. Reformers from the president on down are pushing

to abolish seniority, hold teachers accountable for student performance, and even close some schools

altogether. Has that paved the way for teachers to become punching bags for Republican governors who want to balance

budgets and bust public sector unions?

Will bashing teachers improve education?

Are they being scapegoated for conditions they didn't create and can't change?

On reporter's notebook later on, two presidents meet to resolve tensions

between the United States and Mexico. First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John D.

and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Mormon-Aulney, back with To the Poet. In this era of political polarization,

public school teachers are getting heat from both sides, leftist reformers and right-wing union busters.

Today, we'll hear how demoralized teachers are responding to some of the harshest attacks.

On reporter's notebook, President Obama and Calderon address free trade, organized crime, and other issues.

First, this news update at their joint news conference, President Obama had harsh words for Libya's president, Murmour Gaddafi.

The violence must stop.

...