President Obama Delivers Positive Address to Students

After much controversy, President Obama's address to students at Wakefield High School, a racially diverse school in Arlington County, was filled with positive messages for our country's children and nothing else. No political agenda; nothing subversive. Just as promised, it was about:

-Staying in school, instead of dropping out

-Accepting personal responsibility

-Being Accountable

-Setting goals

-Having the work ethic to reach goals

-Not to depend on the easy way out, such as sports or music to earn a living.

-To hang in there even in spite of a challenging home life due to divorce or having a single parent

-To keep trying even when something isn't easy or they fail the first time.

-To stop bullying when they see it.

-To help the United States find ways to do things better

His message is a much needed one today. In the Committee on Education and Labor's May 12, 2009 press release "High School Dropout Crisis Threatens U.S. Economic Growth and Competiveness, Witnesses Tell House Panel," they state, "The U.S. high school dropout crisis poses one of the greatest threats to the nation's economic growth and competitiveness and must be addressed, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Witnesses urged Congress to explore legislative solutions as quickly as possible." In the release they quote Representative George Miller (D-CA) as saying that fixing this problem may be the single most important thing we can do to fix our economy. and regain competitive footing in the world.

This press release gives us the following information and statistics:

-Nationwide, 7,000 students drop out every day

-Only 70 percent of students graduate from high school

-2000 high schools in the U.S. contribute to more than half of all dropouts

-In the 50 largest cities, only 53 percent of students graduate on time.

-A McKinsey Corporation report claims that if minority student performance had met white students in 1998, the GDP in 2009 would have been between $310 billion and $525 billion higher ( 2 to 4 percent of GDP).

-The McKinsey report likens the achievement failure in the U.S. to having "a permanent national recession".

-Cutting the dropout rate in half would yield $45 billion annually in new federal tax revenues or cost savings (Reported by Columbia University's Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College)

It is obvious that we have a serious problem in the United States in regard to education, and keeping our kids in school is just the beginning, but a good place to start. It is also obvious that many parents are failing to provide adequate direction and encouragement to their kids, which is resulting in high dropout rates and, in turn, less opportunity for the kids, their families and our country.

Growing up with a Mom, who was a part of the generation that believed in respect for our elders and people in authority, I was taught to do my best in school. not to "say anything unless you can say something nice", and to be kind to others. She also insisted that I step up and say I'm sorry when I was wrong.

Drawing on my Mom's basic principles, I'm wondering: Will the right-wing pundits admit that they were wrong about opposing our President's address to students today? Will they admit that the President of the United States intent all along was to deliver a positive message to students; one that could have a far reaching effect on the U.S. GDP in years to come? Is there hope that they admit they were wrong? Or does being affiliated with the GOP mean never having to say you're sorry?

Even more important, will parents who raised so much concern over the elected leader of our country, thank him now for supporting them in encouraging their kids to stay in school, and admit they were wrong? I hope so, but doubt that too.

It's too bad that we are at a time that, when people are wrong in our country, they can't say they are sorry....no matter what political affiliation they are. Everyone has a right to their opinion. Hopefully though, next time, they'll give the highest elected official in our great country the benefit of the doubt, and allow him to deliver his message before they disagree with it.