Edwards Adds Staff, Reshuffles Roles

Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., greets supporters as she walks in the Fourth of July Parade Wednesday, July 4, 2007, in Clear Lake, Iowa. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) (M. Spencer Green - AP)

The Blue Green Alliance was formed last year by the union and the Sierra Club to promote job creation and work on environmental initiatives including global warming and development of solar and wind power.

Edwards also pitched his plan announced Monday to try to push the minimum wage up to $9.50 an hour. President Bush recently signed a law increasing it from $5.15 to $7.25 over two years.

A fellow Democratic candidate, Sen. Joe Biden, told the group in a separate appearance that manufacturing can be revived by investing in the nation's infrastructure such as bridges and highways.

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told the largest teachers' union Thursday that performance-based merit pay ought to be considered in public schools.

Teachers at the National Education Association's annual convention have expressed concerns about merit pay. That idea is gaining favor with lawmakers, including those now rewriting the No Child Left Behind law.

Teachers say they worry that linking their pay to their students' test scores would be unfair to those instructing kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. Teachers also say it is not fair to offer merit pay only to people who teach courses that are tested, such as reading and math, but not to those who teach music or art.

Obama said teachers' salaries should be increased across the board. He also said there should be fair ways of measuring teacher performance and compensating teachers accordingly.

"If you're willing to teach in a high-need subject like math or science or special education, we'll pay you even more. If you're willing to take on more responsibilities like mentoring, we'll pay you more," Obama said.

The Illinois senator said it is possible to "find new ways to increase pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them and not based on some arbitrary test score."

Obama said he would only support a merit-pay approach after consulting with teachers.

Linda Nelson, the president of the Iowa NEA chapter, said merit pay is an idea that isn't going away.