Tuesday, May 19, 2009

One Hundred Days of Hope: Go Back to School

(first published April 29)

Our President tells us to go back to school.
He tells our children to FINISH high school and continue on with college or vocational training.

In his February 24, 2009 address to the Joint Session of Congress, President Obama stated:

…we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America. In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite.

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish.

This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.



The President went on to remind us of our responsibility as parents to “open the doors of opportunity for our children.” Citing his own experience as a dad, he reminded parents they must:


  • attend parent/teacher conferences
  • help with homework after dinner
  • turn off the TV if necessary
  • put away the video games, and
  • read to their children.


Obama has challenged all Americans “to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training.” The President’s goal is by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.


Start studying and tell your children what President Obama says: “….dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American.”

Linnie Frank Bailey

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