Michelle and I are who we are only because of the chances our
education gave us. Great teachers and the chance to earn a college
education with the help of scholarships and student loans were our
gateways to opportunity. And today more than ever, the education we
provide for our children and our workers is the key to a good job and a
secure middle-class life.
(MORE: 8 Ideas to Improve Higher Education)
I’ve always believed that education begins at home, with parents who
take responsibility — who read to their kids, set limits on the TV and
instill a lifelong love of learning. But there’s no substitute for a
good school or the teacher who stands at the front of the classroom.
We know that a good teacher can increase
the lifetime income of a classroom by more than $250,000. A great
teacher can change the trajectory of a child’s life. That’s why, even as
we faced one of the worst economic crises in history, I fought to keep
teachers in the classroom. During my first two years in office, we
worked with states to help save the jobs of 400,000 educators.
(MORE: When It Comes to Class Size, Smaller Isn’t Always Better)
But we did more than just invest resources in our schools.
We demanded reform in return. And for less than 1% of what our country
spends on education each year, we spurred nearly every state to raise
standards for teaching and learning. We did this by working with
governors of both parties, because giving our kids the best education
possible shouldn’t be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue — it’s an
American issue.
We’re attacking the dropout crisis, because we know the good jobs of
tomorrow will demand more than a high school education. And as we work
to graduate more students prepared for college and a career, we’re also
working to make higher education more affordable. We cut big banks out
of the student-loan program and passed the savings directly to students.
We stopped student-loan interest rates from doubling, gave nearly 4
million more young people scholarships to help them afford their degree
and invested in our community colleges — pathways to the middle class
for millions of Americans. In a 21st century economy, higher education
cannot be a luxury; it is an economic necessity every family should be
able to afford.
So we’re making progress. And there’s more to do. But one thing is
certain: we’re not going to get to where we need to be if we turn back
now.
My opponent in this election said that teachers are something we need
to “cut back on.” And he put forward an economic plan that would help
do just that. In order to pay for another round of tax cuts skewed
toward the wealthiest Americans, Governor Romney’s economic plan could
cut education by up to 20%. It could reduce financial aid for nearly 10
million students. And he plans to undo the student-loan reform we passed
so that big banks once again reap taxpayer dollars. Think about what
that means: more teacher layoffs, larger class sizes and more young
Americans who can’t afford the cost of college. That’s not a plan to
create jobs or opportunity or strengthen the middle class — it’s just
wrong.
(MORE: Student Loan Debt: Is There Really A Crisis?)
In early October, Governor Romney said that hiring more teachers
won’t grow the economy over the next four years. He’s wrong, of course.
Hiring more teachers actually does grow the economy. But he misses a
broader point: If we don’t hire more good teachers, what about our kids
over the next four years? What about our economy over the next 40 years?
No child should have their dreams deferred because of a crowded
classroom or a crumbling school. No family should have to set aside a
college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money. No company
should have to look for workers in China
because it couldn’t find any with the right skills here at home. I
refuse to jeopardize our economic future just so that millionaires and
billionaires can get another tax cut.
I have a better plan. Together, we can recruit 100,000 math and
science teachers over the next decade. We can give 2 million workers the
chance to attend their local community college and arm themselves with
the skills that will lead directly to a job. We can work with colleges
and universities to cut tuition growth in half over the next 10 years.
We can make these investments — and bring down our deficits — by being
smart about spending, by winding down the war in Afghanistan responsibly
and by asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute a little more.
That’s the path I’m offering. And I’m not only asking for your help.
I’m asking for your vote. After all that we have fought through together
these past four years — after all the progress we’ve made — now is not
the time to go backward. Now is the time to move forward. Together, we
can strengthen the middle class, grow our economy for the long term and
open new doors of opportunity for all our kids.
MORE: Mitt Romney’s Views on Higher Education Reform
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