Dear President-elect Obama:
On November 4, 2008, Americans enthusiastically voiced their support for the dual promises of your presidential campaign – hope and change. On that night, people all over the world were inspired and mobilized by your simply stated belief that better days lie ahead - Yes We Can.
As we prepare, together, to address the myriad challenges ahead, many of us have also started to wonder - will we really follow through on our shared vision of a better future? And how will we ensure that we prioritize our country's most precious resource - its young people, and the schools that help educate, nurture, and prepare them for the challenges of the 21st Century?
Since the days of our Founders, America's public schools have served as the backbone of our democracy. It is therefore vital, in this climate of hopeful energy, to identify some core principles that can guide our collective efforts - and your tenure as president - to ensure that all young people receive the same opportunity to participate in the American Dream:
- Every child deserves a 21st Century education.
To honor America's ongoing commitment to a democratic way of life, we must provide all young people with a high-quality, free education in schools that are designed to help students develop the skills and abilities they need to exercise a powerful voice in shaping their own lives -- and our nation's future. - Every community deserves an equal chance.
To honor America's founding promise of "liberty and justice for all," we must provide equal access to a high-quality education to all young people, regardless of their family’s money, race or power. - Every child deserves a well-supported teacher.
To honor America's commitment to its public schools, we must ensure that all young people have the same opportunity to learn from well-prepared, well-supported teachers, who are in turn empowered to exercise their professional judgment, and not just follow a script, when it comes to helping students learn. - Every child deserves high-quality health care. To honor America's responsibility to take care of its youngest citizens – and to acknowledge the myriad out-of-school forces that impact a child's capacity to learn – we must ensure that all young people are free from want, and have access to high-quality health care.
We, the undersigned, promise to work with your administration and our friends and neighbors to make these four principles become a reality for every child in this country.
Together, we can turn the hopeful energy of your presidency into the actualized promise of not just a better society for our children, but also a more hopeful future for our democracy.
Yes We Will.
