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| The New York Optimist |
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Hope for Better Education in Our Nation
Staff Writer, Eve
On March 10th, President Barack Obama gave a speech about education at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in
Washington, D.C. Known for his spectacular oration, our President delivered a speech about America’s current struggle with
education problems such as drop-out rates and teacher deficits. Our children are our future and the quality of this future
depends on the quality of the education they receive. In this cohesive and well thought out speech the President mentions the
past, the present and the future in order to explain how schooling has, is and will be a crucial topic in any day and age
because, without it, the American Dream cannot become a reality.
As Obama phrases it, the “Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has the desire to create jobs and provide opportunity to people
who sometimes have been left out.” Minorities—Hispanics and African-Americans—as well as inner city students are
particularly affected by the education crisis (New York Times). For this reason, a speech about education, or lack thereof for
many Americans, would be best given in a place that seeks to give an equal chance to those who struggle to succeed.
In order to engage his audience, Obama starts off his speech by mentioning one important word: “responsibility.” This
responsibility refers to the value of education because schooling and knowledge are at the core of any great nation’s success.
He says “You know, every so often, throughout our history, a generation of Americans bears the responsibility of seeing this
country through difficult times and protecting the dream of its founding for posterity” (New York Times). By saying this, the
President gives the audience a sense that they can fix the problem by understanding and working together as a nation. This
automatically engages a crowd because having a sense of control makes a dire situation seem hopeful and, with optimism,
change is more likely to happen than if Americans feel that the future is bleak. Obama goes on to mention former presidents
who succeeded in solving serious and seemingly hopeless problems (New York Times). This reference to the past shows the
strong ideals on which the nation was built and, having referenced the success we’ve had in the past, the President can go on
to explain the unacceptable problems we face in the present and how we can positively work to change them in the future.
Statistics are a crucial tool used by Obama. By showing the statistics of plummeting middle school math and science grades,
overcrowding in schools, low reading levels and high drop-out rates, as well as a decreasing number of college graduates,
Obama informs his audience of how truly damaged the institution of learning is in our day and age. However, statistics are not
enough to strongly carry across this important call for change, which is why Obama employs metaphors to strengthen his
message. Figurative language such as “politics and ideology have too often trumped our progress” (New York Times) aims to
show how Republicans and Democrats have forgotten their duty as politicians. Instead of focusing on important issues, the
politicians we elect to make a difference, are constrained by party politics and, thus, focus less on our nation’s serious issues.
In order to show how the present circumstances are coming to an end, another metaphor is used: “the finger pointing is over”
(New York Times); Obama wants Washington to work together instead of blaming the other party and this idea further
strengthens the speech’s message that it is time to act as one in order to fix what has been damaged by many.
An interesting aspect of the President’s speech, aside from well crafted phrases that show the gravity of America’s education
problem, is how Obama moves from one topic to the next in an organized manner. He has five main points that he hopes will
solve the problem from the “bottom up,” meaning he wants to fix inconsistencies on all levels of education crisis. This smooth
transition from point to point is made possible because Obama talks about the problems chronologically (from kindergarten all
the way to college). The first and most basic place to start working on the education crisis is by “investing in early childhood
initiatives” (New York Times). If America were to start better educating children early on and educational programs were
more accessible to all, youngsters would be better prepared for the future (New York Times). The second “pillar of our
education reform agenda,” as Obama calls it, concerns the quality of education received by children in the U.S. Obama wants
to set the bar higher for our youth’s curriculum because America’s children are no less worthy of a challenging education and
no less capable of learning than the children of other nations. However, “raising standards alone will not make much of a
difference unless we provide teachers and principals with the information they need to make sure students are prepared to
meet those standards” (New York Times). Having mentioned teachers and principals in his second point about setting higher
standards, President Obama smoothly transitions to his third main point which is “recruiting, preparing, and rewarding
outstanding teachers” (New York Times). Obama wants to make sure that qualified teachers keep their jobs and that they are
better compensated for their invaluable services; they are the carriers of knowledge who are greatly needed because there is a
shortage of teachers, especially in the areas of math and science (New York Times). The fourth point made by the president
concerns a call for “innovation,” meaning he wants children to spend more hours in school and supports the opening of more
charter schools (New York Times). The president wants to “try something new” because it is obvious that our education
system is becoming outdated. Times are changing and education must evolve too; this is Obama’s way of showing what is
required to bring our country into the 21st century. Obama ends his ideas for reform by talking about higher education,
therefore bringing his speech full circle.
As a college student, I found Obama’s desire to make higher education a priority particularly interesting. He wants to give out
more money through financial aid and hopes to make college more affordable for “7 million Americans” (New York Times).
This would have a positive effect for my future and the opportunities of subsequent generations because rising tuition stands
in the way of collegiate success for many people. I was surprised to see that the President even spoke about giving as much
as $2.5 billion to institutions that help students “persist and graduate” (New York Times) because I haven’t heard a president
believe so strongly in the power of a higher education for quite some time. George W. Bush’s administration implemented No
Child Left Behind, but Obama’s speech promises to make this Act more of a reality, not only with children and people in their
20s, but also with adults who seek a higher education later on in life—I would like to think of it as “No Human Being Left
Behind.”
Having read this speech, I am reminded of an excerpt I recently read about the value of education from the autobiography of
Malcom X. The passage is titled “Learning to Read” and in it Malcom X describes how, during his stay in prison, he learned to
read and educated himself. Just like Malcom X who explains how learning makes it possible to become a leader, so too does
Obama explain that it is due to education that he is President of the United States (New York Times). It is interesting to note
that both the speech of President Obama and the writing of Malcom X show how necessary education is. Malcom X states “I
have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed
forever the course of my life.” Similarly, President Obama explains how education opens up doors to one’s future: “you can
focus on what you should be focusing on -- your own education; until you can become the businessmen, doctors, and
lawyers of tomorrow, until you can reach out and grasp your dreams for the future.” Both these men firmly believe that
education personally changed their lives and that is why both men strongly advocate the acquisition of knowledge. The
difference between the two works is that Obama focuses on a formal education, while Malcom X encourages an informal
one—primarily because at the time that he was writing, African-Americans did not have access to the same education as they
do now.
In Conclusion, for some Americans going to a decent school is considered a privilege when it should be a God given right.
President Obama’s speech has sweeping metaphors and anaphoric rhetorical strategies to keep our attention, but it also
addresses specific issues and offers solutions. The President repeats over and over that the government and the people must
work together to fix education problems, but these are not just empty words because the solutions he offers in his five points
for education reform are innovative, yet achievable if Americans don’t lose sight of what is at stake: the possibility of being
masters of our own destinies.
Malcom X. "Learning to Read." 22 Mar 2009 <http://www.scf.usc.edu/~clarkjen/Malcolm%20X.doc>.
Obama, Barack. "President Obama’s Remarks to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce." The New York Times.
March 10, 2009. 22 Mar 2009 <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/us/politics/10text-obama.html?_r=1>.
Staff Writer, Eve
On March 10th, President Barack Obama gave a speech about education at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in
Washington, D.C. Known for his spectacular oration, our President delivered a speech about America’s current struggle with
education problems such as drop-out rates and teacher deficits. Our children are our future and the quality of this future
depends on the quality of the education they receive. In this cohesive and well thought out speech the President mentions the
past, the present and the future in order to explain how schooling has, is and will be a crucial topic in any day and age
because, without it, the American Dream cannot become a reality.
As Obama phrases it, the “Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has the desire to create jobs and provide opportunity to people
who sometimes have been left out.” Minorities—Hispanics and African-Americans—as well as inner city students are
particularly affected by the education crisis (New York Times). For this reason, a speech about education, or lack thereof for
many Americans, would be best given in a place that seeks to give an equal chance to those who struggle to succeed.
In order to engage his audience, Obama starts off his speech by mentioning one important word: “responsibility.” This
responsibility refers to the value of education because schooling and knowledge are at the core of any great nation’s success.
He says “You know, every so often, throughout our history, a generation of Americans bears the responsibility of seeing this
country through difficult times and protecting the dream of its founding for posterity” (New York Times). By saying this, the
President gives the audience a sense that they can fix the problem by understanding and working together as a nation. This
automatically engages a crowd because having a sense of control makes a dire situation seem hopeful and, with optimism,
change is more likely to happen than if Americans feel that the future is bleak. Obama goes on to mention former presidents
who succeeded in solving serious and seemingly hopeless problems (New York Times). This reference to the past shows the
strong ideals on which the nation was built and, having referenced the success we’ve had in the past, the President can go on
to explain the unacceptable problems we face in the present and how we can positively work to change them in the future.
Statistics are a crucial tool used by Obama. By showing the statistics of plummeting middle school math and science grades,
overcrowding in schools, low reading levels and high drop-out rates, as well as a decreasing number of college graduates,
Obama informs his audience of how truly damaged the institution of learning is in our day and age. However, statistics are not
enough to strongly carry across this important call for change, which is why Obama employs metaphors to strengthen his
message. Figurative language such as “politics and ideology have too often trumped our progress” (New York Times) aims to
show how Republicans and Democrats have forgotten their duty as politicians. Instead of focusing on important issues, the
politicians we elect to make a difference, are constrained by party politics and, thus, focus less on our nation’s serious issues.
In order to show how the present circumstances are coming to an end, another metaphor is used: “the finger pointing is over”
(New York Times); Obama wants Washington to work together instead of blaming the other party and this idea further
strengthens the speech’s message that it is time to act as one in order to fix what has been damaged by many.
An interesting aspect of the President’s speech, aside from well crafted phrases that show the gravity of America’s education
problem, is how Obama moves from one topic to the next in an organized manner. He has five main points that he hopes will
solve the problem from the “bottom up,” meaning he wants to fix inconsistencies on all levels of education crisis. This smooth
transition from point to point is made possible because Obama talks about the problems chronologically (from kindergarten all
the way to college). The first and most basic place to start working on the education crisis is by “investing in early childhood
initiatives” (New York Times). If America were to start better educating children early on and educational programs were
more accessible to all, youngsters would be better prepared for the future (New York Times). The second “pillar of our
education reform agenda,” as Obama calls it, concerns the quality of education received by children in the U.S. Obama wants
to set the bar higher for our youth’s curriculum because America’s children are no less worthy of a challenging education and
no less capable of learning than the children of other nations. However, “raising standards alone will not make much of a
difference unless we provide teachers and principals with the information they need to make sure students are prepared to
meet those standards” (New York Times). Having mentioned teachers and principals in his second point about setting higher
standards, President Obama smoothly transitions to his third main point which is “recruiting, preparing, and rewarding
outstanding teachers” (New York Times). Obama wants to make sure that qualified teachers keep their jobs and that they are
better compensated for their invaluable services; they are the carriers of knowledge who are greatly needed because there is a
shortage of teachers, especially in the areas of math and science (New York Times). The fourth point made by the president
concerns a call for “innovation,” meaning he wants children to spend more hours in school and supports the opening of more
charter schools (New York Times). The president wants to “try something new” because it is obvious that our education
system is becoming outdated. Times are changing and education must evolve too; this is Obama’s way of showing what is
required to bring our country into the 21st century. Obama ends his ideas for reform by talking about higher education,
therefore bringing his speech full circle.
As a college student, I found Obama’s desire to make higher education a priority particularly interesting. He wants to give out
more money through financial aid and hopes to make college more affordable for “7 million Americans” (New York Times).
This would have a positive effect for my future and the opportunities of subsequent generations because rising tuition stands
in the way of collegiate success for many people. I was surprised to see that the President even spoke about giving as much
as $2.5 billion to institutions that help students “persist and graduate” (New York Times) because I haven’t heard a president
believe so strongly in the power of a higher education for quite some time. George W. Bush’s administration implemented No
Child Left Behind, but Obama’s speech promises to make this Act more of a reality, not only with children and people in their
20s, but also with adults who seek a higher education later on in life—I would like to think of it as “No Human Being Left
Behind.”
Having read this speech, I am reminded of an excerpt I recently read about the value of education from the autobiography of
Malcom X. The passage is titled “Learning to Read” and in it Malcom X describes how, during his stay in prison, he learned to
read and educated himself. Just like Malcom X who explains how learning makes it possible to become a leader, so too does
Obama explain that it is due to education that he is President of the United States (New York Times). It is interesting to note
that both the speech of President Obama and the writing of Malcom X show how necessary education is. Malcom X states “I
have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed
forever the course of my life.” Similarly, President Obama explains how education opens up doors to one’s future: “you can
focus on what you should be focusing on -- your own education; until you can become the businessmen, doctors, and
lawyers of tomorrow, until you can reach out and grasp your dreams for the future.” Both these men firmly believe that
education personally changed their lives and that is why both men strongly advocate the acquisition of knowledge. The
difference between the two works is that Obama focuses on a formal education, while Malcom X encourages an informal
one—primarily because at the time that he was writing, African-Americans did not have access to the same education as they
do now.
In Conclusion, for some Americans going to a decent school is considered a privilege when it should be a God given right.
President Obama’s speech has sweeping metaphors and anaphoric rhetorical strategies to keep our attention, but it also
addresses specific issues and offers solutions. The President repeats over and over that the government and the people must
work together to fix education problems, but these are not just empty words because the solutions he offers in his five points
for education reform are innovative, yet achievable if Americans don’t lose sight of what is at stake: the possibility of being
masters of our own destinies.
Malcom X. "Learning to Read." 22 Mar 2009 <http://www.scf.usc.edu/~clarkjen/Malcolm%20X.doc>.
Obama, Barack. "President Obama’s Remarks to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce." The New York Times.
March 10, 2009. 22 Mar 2009 <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/us/politics/10text-obama.html?_r=1>.
