From Obama’s Lips to Our Ears: "Dropping out of high school is no longer an option."

I felt that comment was the most important and tangible comment the president made.

It sounds great in theory, but the reality is the a lot of kids don’t suceed in school because parents aren’t involved. Just because we make our kids take all of these test in schools doesn’t mean they will suceed. Not every child wants to go to college. Some kids want to get out of school and work in a trade. So instead of more testing, I think America should implement more vocational schools. I took vocational in high school and when I graduated, my friends were working for $3.35 an hour at fast food restaurants. I got a job in a Doctor’s office making twice that, it also got me the rank of E-3 when I joined the Navy. I am currently in school working on an associates. But the vocational training was far more helpful for me than any college prep class was. So I think we need to have more programs for kids and stop lumping them into one sum. Kids are not all the same, I graduated in 1987 and we never had all this testing and we all turned out just fine. I would say the education was probably better 20 yrs ago than it is today.

I only caught the tail end of it last nite, I turned it on too watch the 10 pm news, here. I personally was one that “left” high school, yes after 5 years, I had a one parent home, and she didn’t care… I went back after 10 years and 2 children, later, and that was in one way the hardest thing to do, But, I did enjoy it later, cuz I had a lot of life’s experiences by that time, plus I was learning with my kids at that point too… But, I strongly would suggest to parents to communicate more lovingly to their kids about enjoying to learn… If we’re NOT there to help and encourage them, they won’t get it, why is it that this nation has the highest illiteracy rate of any other country–does this give us a clue, yet !!!!! We are suppose to be teaching them these kinds of ideals !

I agree with Mr. Obama. I didn’t go to college and have had some good jobs but never made what I could of made had I gone to college. I chose to work right away and put off college. I ended up stuck in a trade for the money and left college for tomorrow. Like in most cases I lost focus and tomorrow never came. Instead of college I got married and had to work. College was no longer an option with 4 children to support and a husband to help. Now I realize college is a must when you’re young and focused. This is when you can commit to your self and your future.

Another big challenge today are the social economical issues a lot of our children have to overcome. My parent’s are immigrants from another country and never had any college. I grew up in a not so good neighborhood. Where the majority of the family’s had parents that had not been to college worked for very little money and it showed everywhere. No one made enough to maintain their homes, there was attitude in every home that trickled down from the frustrated parents trying to make ends meat, the children had to be left unsupervised with no real guidance from anyone. Most kids just didn’t care or even think about school as important much less worry about what college they would attend.

I agree with Heather that college is not for Everyone. How ever I do believe college is for the majority and the majority should be attending to college. Our children will lead the future of our country. How they will lead the this great country and the rest of the world will depend on their skills and their ability to make well informed decisions for their future and the generations ahead of them.

I think that the President’s speech was totally awesome. I am so happy that he is so into education and that he has proposed the $2,500.00 college credit. These children are the future of this nation and while college may not be for everyone, there are other alternatives like trade school.

President Obama’s view is great! It is a middle class ideology. And it can ignite the hearts of those in the gutters as well. But American children belong to neither of these classes. They have been taught only one dream (the American dream):a car in every garage and a fried chicken in every pot. What Obama says is not in tune with this dream. Knowingly or unknowingly, he is asking the Americans to unlearn this dream, and to think in favor of something ‘third-worldish’. Obama’s words imply that regaining the American dream is a long course: after a great wreck, from the ruins the American children have to rebuild their past glory. If he makes this view explicit, all Americans will hate him. What they expect from him is only a magic cure! Obama knows pretty well that the American educational institutions that are under the grip of booze and sex cannot easily respond to his wake up call.

I heard the speech last night and could relate to and feel excited about it. But how does one make a 14 year old interested, who is only interested in online games. They don’t connect with this information and think they will do fine without making any effort.

Our kids have had it too easy and don’t understand the hard work it takes to get anywhere in this world.

I think that is just a fantastic attitude I have three teens and they agree too but now they just need to do their homework.

I thought the speech was great too. But in my school experience with my children, 9 and 13. The competition was about the grade, not learning to love to learn. We have the ability to check our kids grades everyday at my kids schools, and parents do, and hound their kids about getting A’s…. And they get the A’s to get their parents off their backs and all they’re learning is how to get an A not how to learn. I wonder how many dinner conversations are about what the kids are learning, and looking for ways to stimulate the child’s interest instead of hounding.

As an Australian teacher I can support a recent article in The Age, a Victorian newspaper, that states that the real problem
is the fact that parents do not value education. In Australia there is a term for this: “Boganism.” This negative attitude is passed on to their children. Why wouldn’t it be? It is interesting, in this time of financial instability, that some real lessons may be being learned by mankind about what is, and what isn’t, of value in life.

As a parent of a child with health problems, and hearing loss, I can say that public school is no picnic for many children. School has always been difficult and stressful for him, and is for many children. I think Obama is right that education is extremely important, but I think we need to include options like homeschooling, online courses, and work study programs for teens that do not enjoy school. Better yet, the public schools could be properly funded, have schedules that fit teens sleep needs, provide exciting liberal arts and meaningful language and computer classes. Schools could become inclusive places for learning, schools that kids want to go to.

I agree, this statement was inspirational. So much so that my wife & I did something about it. We’ve produced a poster paraphrasing this message and are distributing it in high schools in our area.