President Barack Obama spoke today during an event at Coral Reef Senior High in Miami, Fla., announcing a program that will allow students an easier way to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
In talking about the dreams that education helped him fulfill in his own life, the president delivered some personal and touching remarks about his wife:
And then when I met Michelle, I saw that — there were a couple of things I noticed. I noticed she was smart. I noticed she was funny — she’s funny, she’s funnier than I am. Obviously, I noticed she was cute, yes.
But one of the things I also realized was, even though we had grown up in very different places, her story was a lot like mine. Her dad worked at a city water plant. He didn’t go to college. He was a blue-collar worker. Michelle’s mom — my mother-in-law, who I love to death — she was a secretary. No one in her family had gone to college. But because she had worked hard and her parents understood the value of education, and she had great teachers and great opportunities, and because the country was willing to invest to make sure that she was able to pay for college, she ended up going to some of the best universities in the country.
So the point is she and I have been able to achieve things that our parents, our grandparents would have never dreamed of. And that’s the chance this country should give every young person. That’s the idea at the heart of America.
He also laid out a few broad goals for K-12 schools:
- start teaching our kids at the earliest ages
- provide students with the best technology
- continue to reduce the Latino dropout rate, now half what it was in 2000
In addition, he said education is a two-way street: “Folks like us have to work hard to give you the best schools and support that you need. But then, you’ve got to hold up your end of the bargain by committing to your education. That means you’ve got to stretch your minds. You’ve got to push through subjects that aren’t always easy. And it means continuing your education past high school, whether that’s a two-year or a four-year college degree or getting some professional training.”
Adults and kids alike need to focus on paying for college
He said half of Florida’s new college students last year didn’t even fill out a FAFSA, losing out on about $100 million—just in Florida. “Nationwide, over one million high school students did not fill out the FAFSA form,” he added. “That happens every year.”
In an attempt to correct this problem, President Obama said he’s directing the US Department of Education to allow high school administrators, like principals, to find out which seniors at their schools haven’t filled out a FAFSA. This will allow them to keep better tabs on student’s progress toward paying for college, which is ultimately just as important as preparing for college. If either you’re not prepared academically for college or you’re not able to pay for college, your chances are slim to none of making it through college.
Therefore, stressing the “two-way street” part of education, kids have to do their part, both academically and financially, and the government plans to support them in both aspects as much as the government can. That’s the plan.
