PRESIDENT OBAMA’S “DROPOUT” INITIATIVE
March 1, 2010 by Hideaki Tailor
WASHINGTON D.C. – President Obama has launched a new plan to keep kids in school. Puts the pressure of under-performing schools to get their act together!
President Obama shifted his focus to the nation’s school dropout epidemic on Monday. He proposed a $900 million school grant to states and education districts that agree to drastically change their worst performing schools.
“Over 1 millions students don’t finish high school each year,” Obama said during an education event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He went on to add that there may have been a time when kids could leave school and still get a good enough blue collar job to pay the bills, but: “That’s just not the case anymore.”
The $900 million in grants will target states with graduation rates of less than 60 percent. If schools fail to increase those rates they will face the prospect of new principals, new managements, or even outright closure.
“There’s got to be a sense of accountability,” the president added during the event. America’s Promise Alliance sponsored the event which was founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
