Washington, D.C. – President
Barack Obama’s domestic policy adviser, Melody Barnes, told an overflowing
audience at the Congressional Black Caucus conference that America will never fully recover nor compete globally without a complete education overhaul.
“Economic recovery requires — it absolutely requires — [that] our
children and workforce have the analytical skills and
mastery of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to compete in a
global economy,” said Barnes, the director of the president’s domestic policy
council, as the keynote speaker at the Black Women’s Agenda luncheon. “That’s why ensuring a quality education from
cradle to career for all Americans is a top domestic policy priority for
president Obama. He and the first lady recognize and greatly value the
opportunities they’ve had because of the education they received.”
Barnes is part of a cadre of White House staff members who
catapulted to national prominence by excelling in public schools. Unfortunately,
Barnes noted, the steady deterioration of quality education has caused a
national crises as less than 50 percent of students graduate from large urban
school districts nationwide. Fundamentally, education reform is as big a
domestic priority to Obama as health care and job stimulation, Barnes added.
“The president is working to strengthen the educational
system at every turn: Investing in pre kindergarten learning opportunities;
taking action to reform our most low performing K-12 schools; and bringing
laser-like focus to the problems of college eligibility and the low college
completion rate, while also strengthening
community colleges nationwide so that American workers can compete with those
of other nations. Making progress in each of these areas is absolutely critical
to closing the educational and opportunity gaps. As President Obama has said: ‘Education is no longer just a pathway to success. It is a prerequisite for success,’ ” she said.
As the director of the president’s domestic policy council,
Barnes oversees the development and coordination of Obama’s domestic policy initiatives.
“Our work, day in and day out, and I mean day in and day out, is directed towards helping the president achieve his highest priorities; the continued
recovery and growth of our nation’s economy, including the reform of our
health care system and our nation’s schools.”
Barnes reiterated
that three things spurred her to greatness: unwavering belief that education is
the key to success; secondly, her parents from Richmond, Va., set high
expectations for her that she met and surpassed.
“And third, the opportunities that our public schools offered:
teachers who cared; advance placement classes and the chance to further develop
my skills with programs outside of the school but connected to the school but
out of the classroom. Every child in this country deserves the same thing,” said Barnes.
The president and first lady, also pubic school alums, are
working to make that goal come to fruition.
–terry shropshire
