By Melody Guyton Butts

DURHAM -- In a roundtable discussion with teachers at Maureen Joy Charter School, Sen. Kay Hagan stressed Monday that education reform is critical to the United States' standing in the global economy.

"In the U.S., we rank 14th in reading, 17th in science, 25th in math," Hagan said. "China ranks one in all of those areas" out of 34 countries.

"So many of the children are struggling in key subject areas, especially science and math, and I think that in the jobs of the 21st century, you have got to have a good foundation and a good education in that."

Hagan last week led a group of moderate Democratic senators in outlining goals for the reauthorization of the 2001 No Child Left Behind law.

"I know that No Child Left Behind was well-intentioned, but I think what it's done is it's penalized failure instead of rewarding success," she said Monday. She said the law must be reauthorized "in a way that really is looking from the standpoint of adding accountability, looking at turning around low-performing schools and retaining and paying our teachers."

Maureeen Joy Principal Alex Quigley said retention of high-quality educators must be a top priority in reforming the educational system. His school's students are successful, he said, because their teachers hold them to high standards.

"The number one thing in terms of school reform at the end of the day is having great teachers is the difference maker," Quigley said.

Last year, 71 percent of the school's students passed their end-of-grade tests, an 8 percent increase from the previous year.

Dana Willborn, a first-grade teacher who is in her second year of teaching after a career in the corporate world, said schools need to find ways to bring "the best and brightest" into teaching.

Retaining quality teachers will also take effort, Willborn said.

"Once you're in the classroom, I think leadership at the school makes a big difference, so you've got to be supportive of someone who is a career changer, for someone in their first year," she said. "You definitely want to have high standards for your teachers, but you've got to provide the resources for them to be supported."

Noting that nearly 50 percent of teachers in the U.S. leave the profession within their first five years on the job, Hagan said Willborn's concerns have been heard by the senators working on education reform. According to a statement the legislators released last week, they aim to ensure teachers have access to professional development opportunities, as well better feedback on their effectiveness in the classroom.

While Monday's discussion was held at Maureen Joy, a charter school, Hagan said her goal is to achieve a quality education for students at every type of school. "We've got good models that we can use, we just need to spread those out," she said.

Despite a tight budget crunch and a partisan climate in Washington, Hagan has high hopes for pushing education reform through Congress this year.

"We cannot wait a year in the life of a child to begin this turnaround process," she said.