President Barack Obama discusses current education issues at a gathering at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Grand Ballroom of the Washington Marriott Metro Center on Tuesday, March 10, 2009.
After his openinng statement, he informed the group that he will deal on Education particularly that morning.
He said, “I know there are some who believe that we can only handle one challenge at a time. They forgot that Lincoln helped lay down the transcontinental railroad, passed the Homestead Act, and created the National Academy of Sciences in the midst of Civil War. Likewise, President Roosevelt didn’t have the luxury of choosing between ending a depression and fighting a war. President Kennedy didn’t have the luxury of choosing between civil rights and sending us to the moon. And we don’t have the luxury of choosing between getting our economy moving now and rebuilding it over the long term.”
The President explained why, on education in particular, we cannot afford to wait, noting that even within a few years America will see a different reality: “By 2016, four out of every ten new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training,” he remarked.
The President pledged to end pointless partisan finger-pointing, and to ensure that new investments also come with new reforms. He pointed to deep commitments both in the recovery act and his budget proposal, while also telling the audience, “It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones.”
He proposed five pillars of reform, namely:
1) Investing in early childhood initiatives, like Head Start;
2) Encouraging better standards and assessments by focusing on testing itineraries that better fit our kids and the world they live in;
3) Recruiting, preparing, and rewarding outstanding teachers by giving incentives for a new generation of teachers and for new levels of excellence from all of our teachers.
4) Promoting innovation and excellence in America’s schools by supporting charter schools, reforming the school calendar and the structure of the school day.
5) Providing every American with a quality higher education–whether it’s college or technical training.
And for students, the President had a message for them as well:
“Of course, no matter how innovative our schools or how effective our teachers, America cannot succeed unless our students take responsibility for their own education. That means showing up for school on time, paying attention in class, seeking out extra tutoring if it’s needed, and staying out of trouble. And to any student who’s watching, I say this: Don’t even think about dropping out of school. As I said a couple of weeks ago, dropping out is quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country, and it is not an option – not anymore. Not when our high school dropout rate has tripled in the past thirty years. Not when high school dropouts earn about half as much as college graduates. And not when Latino students are dropping out faster than just about anyone else. It is time for all of us, no matter what our backgrounds, to come together and solve this epidemic,” he ended.
