Education has been a top priority for the Obama Administration, and today the president outlined his education plan in a speech entitled "A Complete and Competitive American Education" at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
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The five-pillar strategy is quite ambitious, especially amidst other administrative priorities like stimulating the economy, improving health care, and developing a stronger energy policy, but the president feels it’s key to our nation’s prosperity.
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In brief, Obama says that education is "the source of America's prosperity," and especially vital in our current world. While the country has strong educational resources, he says, "we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us."
Rather than accepting the status quo, Obama has a proposal for improving education:
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"What’s required is not simply new investments, but new reforms. It is time to expect more from our students. It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. It is time to demand results from government at every level. It is time to prepare every child, everywhere in America/st1 :country-region>, to out-compete any worker, anywhere in the world. It is time to give all Americans a complete and competitive education from the cradle up through a career. We have accepted failure for too long. Enough. America/st1 :country-region>’s entire education system must once more be the envy of the world.”
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So how does President Obama plan on achieving these objectives? Here are the basics:
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1. "Develop a cutting-edge plan to raise the quality of your early learning programs."
2. "End what has become a race to the bottom in our schools and instead, spur a race to the top by encouraging better standards and assessments." These standards would be more comparable with the global community rather than confined to the U.S./st1 :country-region>
3. "Recruiting, preparing, and rewarding outstanding teachers." This component not only includes rewarding the brightest teaches, but also getting rid of bad ones.
4. "Promoting innovation and excellence in America/st1 :country-region>’s schools." Part of this plan includes utilizing charter schools and possibly instituting longer school days and years.
5. "Providing every American with a quality higher education – whether it’s college or technical training."
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Even with this plan, and the billions of dollars that would be necessary to see this vision come to fruition, the president also emphasizes the need for personal accountability of both parents and students.
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"Of course, no matter how innovative our schools or how effective our teachers, America/st1 :country-region> 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."
"The bottom line is that no government policies will make any difference unless we also hold ourselves more accountable as parents. Because government, no matter how wise or efficient, cannot turn off the TV or put away the video games. Teachers, no matter how dedicated or effective, cannot make sure your children leave for school on time and do their homework when they get back at night. These are things only a parent can do. These are things that our parents must do. "
The vast majority of Americans would agree with many of Obama's educational objectives. What citizen wouldn't want its country to have the best educational system in the world?
At the same time, the plan isn't without controversy, and some objectives, like having students "take responsibility for their own education" or increasing parental involvement in the education process are much easier said than done.
It will be interesting to see how this plan develops, especially within the current economic climate. Of course, in the long run, improving our educational system could prove a far more lucrative investment than the hundreds of billions used for the stimulus package.