Barack Obama

over the last few year __PUNCT__ i been travel to differ school and meet with all kind of educ to hear about what work __PUNCT__ what not __PUNCT__ what make the differ when it come to educ children todai __PUNCT__

i gain a lot of valuabl insight from these visit __PUNCT__ but on i alwai rememb is my trip to dodg elementari_school in my hometown of chicago __PUNCT__

i wa talk to on of the young teacher there about the challeng thei face __PUNCT__ and she mention what she call the __PUNCT__ these kid syndrom __PUNCT__ the willing of societi to find a million excus for why __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__ can't learn __PUNCT__

it the idea that __PUNCT__ these kid come from tough background __PUNCT__ or that __PUNCT__ these kid ar too far behind __PUNCT__

and after awhil __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__ becom somebodi els problem __PUNCT__

then she said to me __PUNCT__ when i hear that term __PUNCT__ it drive me nut __PUNCT__

thei not __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__

thei our kid __PUNCT__

our kid ar why all of you ar in thi room todai __PUNCT__

our kid ar why you wake up wonder how you make a differ and go to bed think about tomorrow lesson_plan __PUNCT__

our kid ar why you walk into that classroom everi dai even when you not get the support __PUNCT__ or the pai __PUNCT__ or the respect that you deserv __PUNCT__ becaus you believ that everi child should have a chanc to succe __PUNCT__ that everi child can be taught __PUNCT__

you made our kid your life_work __PUNCT__

and i believ it time we put that work at the center of our polit onc more __PUNCT__

we have never been a __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__ countri __PUNCT__

from the earliest_dai of our found __PUNCT__ we have believ in thoma_jefferson declar that __PUNCT__ __URL__ and virtu __PUNCT__ need in a free_societi __PUNCT__ should be educ regardless of wealth __PUNCT__ birth or other accident condit __PUNCT__

it is thi belief that led our countri to set up the first free public_school in small new england town __PUNCT__

it a promis we kept as we move from a nation of farm to factori and creat a system of public high_school so that everyon had the chanc to succe in the new economi __PUNCT__ on we expand after world_war_ii __PUNCT__ when we sent over two million return hero to colleg on the gi_bill __PUNCT__

and even when america fell short of thi ideal and forc linda brown to walk mile to a dilapid topeka school becaus of the color of her skin __PUNCT__ even then __PUNCT__ ordinari_peopl peopl_march and bled __PUNCT__ thei took to the street and fought in the court until the arriv of nine littl children at a littl rock school made real the decis that in america __PUNCT__ separ could never be equal __PUNCT__

and no matter what the suprem_court said last week __PUNCT__ that still true todai __PUNCT__

the ideal of a public_educ ha alwai been at the heart of the american promis __PUNCT__

it why we ar commit to fix and improv our public_school instead of abandon them and pass out voucher __PUNCT__

becaus in america __PUNCT__ it the promis of a good educ for all that make it possibl for ani child to transcend the barrier of race or class or background and achiev their god __PUNCT__ given potenti __PUNCT__

that how america work __PUNCT__

that how we met each challeng that ha come our wai __PUNCT__

we rise togeth __PUNCT__ as on peopl __PUNCT__

and togeth is how teacher __PUNCT__ educ support profession __PUNCT__ student __PUNCT__ and the american_peopl will meet the challeng we face_todai __PUNCT__

we now live in a world where the most valuabl skill you can sell is knowledg __PUNCT__

revolut in technolog and commun have creat an entir economi of high __PUNCT__ tech __PUNCT__ high __PUNCT__ wage_job that can be locat anywher there an internet connect __PUNCT__

and todai __PUNCT__ a child in philadelphia is not onli compet for job with on in boston __PUNCT__ but thousand more in bangalor and beij who ar be educ longer and better than ever befor __PUNCT__

in the __NUM___centuri __PUNCT__ countri who out __PUNCT__ educ us todai will out __PUNCT__ compet us tomorrow __PUNCT__ and america is alreadi in danger of fall behind __PUNCT__

we now have on of the highest high_school dropout_rate of ani industri_nation __PUNCT__

by __NUM__ grade __PUNCT__ our children score lower on their math and scienc test than most other kid in the develop_world __PUNCT__

sixti percent of african __PUNCT__ american fourth grader ar unabl to read at a basic level __PUNCT__ and todai onli __NUM__ __PUNCT__ of low __PUNCT__ incom_student will graduat from colleg __PUNCT__

forti or fifti_year_ago __PUNCT__ student who had troubl in school might have gone on to find a factori job that could pai the bill and support a famili __PUNCT__

but we no longer_live in that world __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ the averag salari of a high_school school_graduat is onli __MONEY__ a year __PUNCT__

for high_school dropout __PUNCT__ it even closer to the poverti_line __PUNCT__ just __MONEY__ a year __PUNCT__

and sadli __PUNCT__ some folk here aren't paid that much and that wrong __PUNCT__

thi is not onli moral unaccept for our children __PUNCT__ it is econom unten for our nation __PUNCT__

and it mean that todai __PUNCT__ the work you do and the differ you make ha never been more import to the futur of thi countri __PUNCT__

in fact __PUNCT__ new evid_show that from the moment our children step into a classroom __PUNCT__ the singl most import_factor in determin their achiev is not the color of their skin or where thei come from __PUNCT__ it not who their parent ar or how much monei thei have __PUNCT__

it who their teacher is __PUNCT__

it you __PUNCT__

it you who can reach the most challeng student __PUNCT__

it you who will stai past the last bell and spend your own monei on book and suppli __PUNCT__

it you who will go beyond the call becaus you believ that what make the extra differ __PUNCT__

and it doe __PUNCT__

but you can't do it alon __PUNCT__ and it about time that washington realiz that __PUNCT__

for too long __PUNCT__ our polit ha been stuck in a cycl where we prais our educ in speech and photo __PUNCT__ op __PUNCT__ but then abandon them when it come time to offer the resourc and the support you need to do your job __PUNCT__

there no better exampl of thi neglect than the law that ha becom on of the emptiest slogan in the histori of polit __PUNCT__ no child_left behind __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ we all know that the goal of thi law were the right on __PUNCT__

we know that make a promis to educ everi child with an excel teacher is right __PUNCT__

we know that account and standard ar right __PUNCT__

we know that it right to close the achiev_gap that exist in too mani citi and town __PUNCT__ and that it right to focu on the inequit distribut of resourc and qualifi teacher in our school __PUNCT__

we didn't need some word in a law to tell us thi __PUNCT__ we alreadi knew it __PUNCT__ and everi on of us is still will to do whatev it take to make these goal a realiti __PUNCT__

but don't come up with thi law call no child_left behind and then leav the monei behind __PUNCT__

don't tell us that you put high __PUNCT__ qualiti teacher in everi classroom and then leav the support and the pai for those teacher behind __PUNCT__

don't label a school as fail on dai and then throw your hand up and walk awai from it the next __PUNCT__

and don't tell us that the onli wai to teach a child is to spend too much of the year prepar him to fill in a few bubbl on a standard_test __PUNCT__

we know that not true __PUNCT__

you didn't devot your live to test __PUNCT__ you devot them to teach __PUNCT__ and teach is what you should be allow to do __PUNCT__

thi is what i be try to leav behind when no child_left behind come befor the senat for renew __PUNCT__ and if we don't fix the law then __PUNCT__ i can assur you thi __PUNCT__ i will when i presid __PUNCT__

let leav behind that empti slogan __PUNCT__

but i also sai thi __PUNCT__ fix the worst aspect of no child left behind is just a start_point __PUNCT__

the statu_quo is still unaccept for teacher and student __PUNCT__

in the face of a global_economi where too mani children start behind and stai behind __PUNCT__ thi countri doesn't need more blame or inact or half __PUNCT__ measur on educ __PUNCT__

what we need is a histor commit to america teacher __PUNCT__ and that the kind of commit i intend to make as presid __PUNCT__

we know that we have more than on million teacher who ar set to retir and more kid enter school than ever befor __PUNCT__ and so we know that it time to recruit a new gener of teacher and princip __PUNCT__

let do thi by final rais salari across the board __PUNCT__ and make it possibl for profession in other field to becom teacher __PUNCT__ not through easi shortcut __PUNCT__ but through program that allow new teacher to learn from veteran profession __PUNCT__

and if you will to put yourself through colleg to make the sacrific and commit that teach requir __PUNCT__ we should be will to help you pai off some of those colleg loan __PUNCT__

in the come week __PUNCT__ i be lai out the specif detail of my plan to invest billion of new dollar into the teach profess and recruit an armi of well __PUNCT__ train __PUNCT__ well __PUNCT__ qualifi teacher who ar will to stand at the front of ani classroom and give everi student the chanc to succe __PUNCT__

my view is thi __PUNCT__ if we truli believ that educ ar the essenti profession that we know you ar __PUNCT__ then it time we reward __PUNCT__ and support __PUNCT__ and honor the profession excel you show everi dai __PUNCT__

we know what we need to do here __PUNCT__

we also know that right now __PUNCT__ we need the best teacher in the most challeng classroom __PUNCT__ those underserv __PUNCT__ underachiev school in part of rural and urban america where we need to make __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__ our kid __PUNCT__ again __PUNCT__

i believ in collect_bargain __PUNCT__ and i believ that ani time you talk about wage __PUNCT__ worker have to be at the tabl __PUNCT__

so let make a promis right now that if you a teacher or a princip do the hard_work of educ our children __PUNCT__ we will reward that work with the salari increas that you deserv __PUNCT__

if you will to teach in a high __PUNCT__ need subject like math or scienc or special_educ __PUNCT__ we pai you even more __PUNCT__

if you will to take on more respons like mentor __PUNCT__ we pai you more __PUNCT__

and if you excel at help your student_achiev success __PUNCT__ your success will be valu and reward as well __PUNCT__

here the kei __PUNCT__ we can find new wai to increas pai that ar develop with teacher __PUNCT__ not impos on them and not base on some arbitrari test_score __PUNCT__

that how we go to close the achiev_gap that exist in thi countri and that how we go to start treat teacher like the profession you ar __PUNCT__

i commend the work you done in minnesota with the governor there to craft an innov pai system that not onli valu your perform in the classroom __PUNCT__ but the perform of your student as well __PUNCT__

you help craft it and you and your student benefit from it __PUNCT__

we also know that when it come to struggl school __PUNCT__ it not just how much you get paid that matter __PUNCT__ but how much support you get to do your job __PUNCT__

we know that when you pair experienc __PUNCT__ mentor teacher with new teacher __PUNCT__ those new teacher ar much more like to stai in the profess __PUNCT__

so let make sure we start develop more mentor teacher so we can start recruit and keep the new gener of teacher we need __PUNCT__

and while we at it __PUNCT__ let work with teacher and princip to final develop assess that teach our kid to becom more than just good test __PUNCT__ taker __PUNCT__

the goal of educ test should be the same as medic test __PUNCT__ to diagnos a student need so you can help address them __PUNCT__

test should not be design as punish for teacher and student __PUNCT__ thei should be us as tool to help prepar our children to grow and compet in a knowledg_economi __PUNCT__

test should support learn __PUNCT__ not just account __PUNCT__

on last point __PUNCT__

there a lot of talk out there about account in educ __PUNCT__

i share that concern __PUNCT__ and i call for more account in our school myself __PUNCT__

but i also believ that befor we can hold our teacher account for the result our school need __PUNCT__ we have to hold ourselv account for give teacher the support that thei need __PUNCT__

that where account start with a govern that put it monei where it mouth is __PUNCT__ and parent and commun_member who instil the valu of educ in their student __PUNCT__

i am tire of hear teacher blame for our collect failur __PUNCT__

a few month_ago __PUNCT__ i had the opportun to take a bu ride with a group of iowa teacher and discuss their thought on educ __PUNCT__

afterward __PUNCT__ on teacher said __PUNCT__ i don't think ani teacher mind be account when the measur tool is fair to educ and not about satisfi unrealist goal __PUNCT__

she right __PUNCT__

if we do all thi __PUNCT__ if we go into struggl school and provid more pai and better support for our teacher __PUNCT__ if we allow them to teach our children to their strength instead of just a test __PUNCT__ then the teacher i met wouldn't mind some account __PUNCT__

but we need to start do our part first __PUNCT__

when it come to educ in america __PUNCT__ we need to start hold ourselv account __PUNCT__

thi goe for our govern and our leader __PUNCT__

it also goe for parent __PUNCT__

there is no polici or program that can substitut for a parent who is deepli involv in their child educ from dai on __PUNCT__ who is will to turn off the tv __PUNCT__ put awai the video_game __PUNCT__ and read to their child __PUNCT__ or help with homework __PUNCT__ or attend those parent/teach confer __PUNCT__

as parent too __PUNCT__ mani of you know what i talk about here __PUNCT__

a few year_ago __PUNCT__ a littl girl at earhart elementari in chicago wa ask the secret to her academ success __PUNCT__

she said __PUNCT__ i just studi hard everi night becaus i like learn __PUNCT__

my teacher want me to be a good student __PUNCT__ and so doe my mother __PUNCT__

i don't want to let them down __PUNCT__

we have quit a challeng ahead of us __PUNCT__ but we overcom great_challeng befor __PUNCT__

over the cours of two centuri __PUNCT__ we have continu upheld the promis of educ for all as that which allow ani child to transcend the barrier of race or class or background and achiev their god __PUNCT__ given potenti __PUNCT__

and we have risen togeth as a result __PUNCT__

it is teacher and educ support profession who have alwai made thi possibl __PUNCT__ who have alwai remind us that that littl girl in chicago is not __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__ she is our child __PUNCT__

she doesn't want to let us down __PUNCT__ and now it is our gener turn to ensur that we won't let her down either __PUNCT__

i know you be lead the wai __PUNCT__ and i look forward to stand with you in the fight __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__