July 13, 2010

My favorite president had always been Lyndon Baines Johnson, champion of the Great Society, until Barack Obama was elected.

President Johnson was on the frontlines in our battle for civil rights.  And he understood — before so many others did — that education is a civil rights issue.  He made elementary and secondary education the cornerstone of the War on Poverty.  He understood that our entire society benefits when every child has a chance to succeed.

The call to continue this work is as strong today as ever because a child’s zip code still determines the quality of education he or she will get.  This isn’t equal opportunity, and we can do better.
In Milwaukee, Black children have some of the worst reading outcomes in the entire country.  We must do better.

Wisconsin, like most states, has been facing budget problems.  And our kids have paid the price — losing art, gym, computers and libraries.  And now 700 teachers in Milwaukee have been given pink slips resulting in bigger class sizes that inevitably deny our kids a better education.  They need every qualified teacher we have.