Check out President Obama’s speech here!

On the anniversary of his election President Obama is back to addressing one of the three big topics that have dominated his term. Reforms in healthcare, education and the economy have become the cornerstones of the Obama administration. With the slow recovery of the economy underway and the Healthcare Bill passing its first hurdle with a 220-215 vote; the President has once again gone back to school.

During a speech at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin, the President explains how the two pressing issues of economy and education can be merged into a singular concern. By rejuvenating the nation’s education system, the President claims, economic recovery and prosperity becomes more tenable.

In his speech the President recognized the challenges that his administration face, but maintains that their “two fundamental obligations,” to education and economy, will be actively fulfilled. President Obama states: “The currency of today’s economy is knowledge; it’s time to stop talking about education reform and time to start doing it.”

No program is more aptly named than Obama’s “Race to the Top” stimulus package. Soon, schools will be racing to implement strong education reforms, as the package allocates extra funding to states based on the strength of their educational improvement. The President hopes that this federal stimulus plan will give impetus to schools to perform to their maximum abilities.

The stimulus package is unlike any other before it. The government has $4.35 billion in funding to allocate to schools but are expecting something in return. Funding will not be distributed based on what the President calls “the usual political formulas,” but is being used as an incentive towards which schools must work. The government is actively challenging schools to improve their systems and only when they have won their race, and reached the top of their potential, will they receive endowment.

In a shrewd move the President chose Wisconsin to conduct his speech as the state is one which, under their current law, is exempt for the new program. State regulations prohibit teacher evaluation to be based on student performance. The President has promised teachers more support and recognition, while also holding them more accountable for their students. However, in Wisconsin this law is expected to be repealed in a proposed bill that will set higher standards for schools. This reform is seen as a historic step towards better education in Wisconsin.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says that Wisconsin can be used as a model for progress as it is a state where the education system is “troubled.” In Milwaukee the discrepancy between White and African American educational levels are increasing and Duncan hopes that the new bill will be a breakthrough for Wisconsin.

The speech in Wisconsin gave both students and parents the chance to interact with the President. President Obama urged parents to encourage their children to take education seriously and make it the responsibility of their children. He shared a story of how Malia, his oldest daughter, felt depressed after receiving 73% on a school test.

President Obama is not only planning to overhaul the elementary and secondary school systems, but has pledged to have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world, by 2020. Steps are being taken by the Obama administration to ensure that education for Americans will be a right and not a privilege. Let us know what you think about Obama’s education reform.