To Be Equal #35
September 9, 2015
A Back-to-school message for parents
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – President Abraham Lincoln
Another school year is upon us and it is time to return to the business of learning.
All across our nation, families are observing an annual academic tradition where summer's carefree fun is replaced with the academic rigor and expectations associated with the coming fall. In a scene that will be played out countless times, families will send off their children, armed with notebooks, pencils and open minds, into schools--big and small, public or private--with the hope that one day all of their hard work will pay off and develop into a successful future.
This back-to-school tradition is far more significant than the acknowledgement of a shift in priorities in a child's life. The tradition is firmly rooted in our American belief that education—particularly higher education—can be a key predictor of greater opportunity and future professional success. A child that receives an education rooted in excellence will likely attend college, enter the workforce and become far more engaged in his or her community, and our society at large.
Even now, while parents are in control of where you go to school; and teachers are in control of what you learn; and our government makes decisions about how you will learn, you--the student--are in full control of your future. And you can begin to focus on the future you want to create today. When you assume responsibility for your education, you begin to unlock your full potential and stack the building blocks that have become the minimum requirements of the climb up our nation’s social and economic opportunity ladders.
The National Urban League believes our nation is a stronger nation when every American child is prepared for college, work, and life. America will not be able to successfully compete in today's (and tomorrow's) global, information-age economy, if we do not properly and equitably invest in all of our students now. For this reason, we have developed an 8-point education policy that reflects our belief that a strong correlation exists between educational opportunity and economic empowerment. The National Urban League calls for:
• Fair and equitable school funding for all;
• Robust early childhood education for each child;
• Strengthening high schools and re-engaging students to prevent dropouts;
• Robust STEM-focused curriculum and programs;
• Qualified, effective and diverse teachers;
• Strategic workforce development: targeting those most in need;
• New job training models coupled with job placement; and
• Improving and integrating current data systems.
With the love and support of family and friends, and dedication from our nation's educators to our children's success, students have some of the key elements needed in their quest to aspire to be their best. When it comes to education, America needs to put its money where its mouth is. As a nation, we express concern over inequality gaps in education, but are we implementing the necessary policies that will close those perpetual gaps? Our nation must become engaged in the struggle to educate its children equitably, with policy rooted in excellence.
When a young man or woman lacks access to opportunity through education, we all lose, and those are losses our nation can hardly afford in today's global economy. The return on our nation's investment of action and effective policy would be a competitive American workforce, a stronger economy and thriving communities. To paraphrase a former Harvard University president, if you think access to a solid education for all American students is expensive, imagine the cost of ignorance on our nation.
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35TBE 9/9/15 ▪ 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300 ▪ WWW.NUL.ORG
