President Barack Obama spoke to students and teachers on Thursday, June 6, at Mooresville (N.C.) Middle School, and in his speech, he set forth his plans to provide schools with the tools they need to succeed in a recovering economy. Read his entire speech.
That’s why I came to Mooresville: because at a moment when the rest of the world is trying to out-educate us, we’ve got to make sure that our young people—all you guys—have every tool that you need to go as far as your talents and your dreams and your ambitions and your hard work will take you.
So that’s the spirit that’s reflected in the motto of your school district: “every child, every day.” It’s that fundamental belief that no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, every child can learn. Every child can succeed. Every child, every day, deserves that chance. We’ve got an obligation to give every young person that chance.
Mentioning the possibility that students in a Spanish class at Mooresville might Skype with students in Barcelona, he asked his uncomfortably warm audience, Why, when we live in a country where people expect free WiFi with their coffee, can’t we provide fast Internet access for more than about 20 percent of our students in their schools?
The president said, by comparison, 100 percent of students in South Korea have high-speed Internet access. In Mooresville, the schools already have broadband, and every student, starting in third grade, has a laptop issued by the school. “Those of you here at Mooresville understand why this is important, but I’m speaking to a larger audience,” he said.
Among the 115 school districts in North Carolina last year, Mooresville:
- Ranked among the 10 lowest districts in terms of per-pupil spending
- Ranked No. 2 in student achievement
“Number two,” President Obama reiterated. “So you’re spending less money and getting better outcomes. And around the country, educators have started to take notice. So many people want to see this school for themselves that there’s a waiting list for tours all the way into 2014. But here’s the thing: As special as what you’ve done is, I don’t want this success to be restricted to one school or one school district.”
And with this speech, the president instructed the Federal Communications Commission to bring high-speed Internet access to at least 99 percent of the schools in America within the next five years.