Today is a special day of reflection and renewal as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. While it is discouraging to recall the hate, bigotry and injustice that are inextricably tied to the civil rights movement, it also makes me hopeful. It gives me a sense of optimism because the civil rights leaders were able to take a sledgehammer to how we viewed and accepted the world around us. They shattered norms that had been around for generations. They imagined something and then peacefully forced it to happen. They made us believe in change.
We Americans know that change can happen. We have come a long way in the United States, the land of opportunity, the land of plenty, the land people risk their lives to get to. But even here, far too many people are left behind.
Historically, quality public education was one of the things Americans could always be most proud of. Even in the beginning, Thomas Jefferson said, ‘If the condition of man is to be progressively ameliorated, as we fondly hope and believe, education is to be the chief instrument in effecting it.’
For a very long time, the United States invested in our education system. We made sure it kept up with the times and we led the world in almost every measure. But in recent years, that has changed. We used to be in first place in graduation rates. By 2006, we had slipped to 18th in high school graduation rates and 14th for college. Our high school drop-out rate is a shameful 30% and is much worse for minority and low-income students.
So are all of our schools bad? Absolutely not. Many are exceptional.
