First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks To The Dept. Of Education

I take it as a good sign that Michelle Obama’s first speech as First Lady addressed the funding (or lack thereof) of America’s public education system. Having crossed fingers didn’t stop me from reading a transcript of the speech. My favorite bit: “…I think the most important thing to tell you or to remind [...]

I take it as a good sign that Michelle Obama’s first speech as First Lady addressed the funding (or lack thereof) of America’s public education system. Having crossed fingers didn’t stop me from reading a transcript of the speech. My favorite bit:

“…I think the most important thing to tell you or to remind you is that I am a product of your work. I’m a product of people who were investing every day in the education of regular kids who’d grown up on the south side of Chicago, kids on the north side, folks in the south, in the west — young people who oftentimes comes into these systems not knowing their own power and their own potential, believing that there’s some magic out there, to great things. But because of the work that you’ve put in, you’ve taught us and helped many of us understand that it is our own hard work and our own belief in self, our commitment to pushing ourselves along, building great communities and families, and reinvesting that energy once we have some successes.

“I am a product of your work. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the public schools that nurtured me and helped me along. And I am committed, as well as my husband, to ensuring that more kids like us and kids around this country, regardless of their race, their income, their status, their — the property values in their neighborhoods, get access to an outstanding education.”

Further Reading:

First Lady Visits Department Of Education
Michelle Obama Gives Her First Speech
Mrs. Obama Thanks Education Department
Education Is Why We Need This $835m Bail-Out, Says First Lady

Posted by Alexa Harrington

photo credit: Jason Reed/Reuters

Continue reading ...

Media Studies and Literary Studies

Media Studies and Literary Studies
I was somewhat bemused to see the white paper recently released by the MLA, reporting to the Teagle Foundation on the goals and objectives of the undergraduate major in language and literature in the context of a liberal arts education. (From what I can tell, the report itself was actually released in December — as reported by Scott Jaschik in Inside Higher Ed — and posted on the MLA website or announced as available yesterday.) This paper argues strongly for the core values that have long

STUMPTALK: Tons of money and still U.S. education doesna t stack up

STUMPTALK: Tons of money and still U.S. education doesna t stack up

So good education is expensive, eh? American students continue to get badly beaten on international tests by other nations' students who spend less money and have larger average class sizes.