Barack Obama: School Strategy in Middle Grades is Key
Friday, November 16, 2007
Printable FormatSPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
The challenges facing our children and schools are not just something we see on television or read in our papers, they're something we confront everyday in our homes, neighborhoods and churches.
We see rising high school dropout rates, failing math and science scores, and skyrocketing college tuition costs. These are realities for far too many Americans.
Part of this problem is the increasing rate of our kids dropping out of high school. But the risk of our children dropping out doesn't just start in high school. Many troubling signs can be identified for students in the middle grades, which is often a time when children begin experimenting with risky behaviors. Even as early as the sixth grade, kids might attend school sporadically, might be suspended, or even fail classes. And as we know, this dangerous trend disproportionately affects students in urban, high-poverty schools.
We can't stand by and let more of our kids leave high school without a diploma. Education Week reported that in Springfield, the likelihood that for every three students who enter ninth grade, only two will complete high school within four years and earn a diploma. We know that in today's world without a high school diploma, it is hard to get a job, and even harder to find one that pays well. We can and must do better.
I am often reminded of the story of a working mother of three who was frustrated with the schools available to her young children. When her son started falling behind in the seventh grade he never got the support he needed, and when she called the school to address this issue, nothing changed. This mother said that maybe this country's education system simply wasn't designed for people like her or her children. In a country as advanced as ours, this is unacceptable.
We can change this unfortunate path by providing our schools with the resources they need to succeed, and inspiring our kids to stay in school, dream big and achieve. Investing in kids in the middle grades is an important way to start.
That is why we have introduced the Success in the Middle Act, which will direct federal grants to our middle schools to help raise student achievement, support teachers and improve schools that serve students in the middle grades. Our plan authorizes unprecedented grants to low-performing middle schools across the country to work with community partners, such as universities and nonprofit groups, to develop and implement new strategies to improve middle school student achievement. It's time we provide schools with the resources they need to guide our kids in the right direction and teach them the math, writing and science skills they need to succeed in our work force.
Every year, those in Washington talk about strengthening our education system by increasing school funding and implementing countless legislative solutions. But over the years, many of these efforts have fallen victim to partisan politics, and we've failed to enact the real change we need. Many of those in Congress - like our colleagues Sens. Ted Kennedy and Dick Durbin - have devoted decades to battling the number of falling education rates. So to truly work toward new solutions, we must complement these efforts by pursuing unconventional strategies and innovative reforms to tackle these challenges.
Students enter the middle grades hopeful about their future, believing that they will finish high school and then go on to college - as they should. If we are truly committed to maintaining our country's economic and scientific competitiveness in the world, we must pursue unconventional strategies and innovative reforms to get all our kids the world-class education they deserve. Let's invest in our next generation of leaders.
Barack Obama is a U.S. senator from Illinois and a Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency.