Statement on President Obama’s Call for “A Complete and Competitive American Education - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Allan Golston, president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s United States Program, issued the following statement today regarding President Obama’s speech this morning to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce:

"President Obama today continued to advance the urgent demand to improve America’s public education system from the earliest ages through high school and the completion of a college degree or certificate.
 
We join our grantees and students across the country in this important endeavor, including the need for fewer, clearer, and higher standards; pay that rewards effective teachers; data systems that track student achievement; and increasing financial aid that rewards postsecondary completion--not simply access. 
 
As the president recognizes, the global economy demands that we not only address high school dropout rates, but do more to ensure that students go on to complete a postsecondary degree or credential with real value in the job market. Low-income and minority students, in particular, suffer from a lack of access to a high-quality education. Only one in five Hispanic young people graduate high school ready for college, and only a quarter of low-income students earn a degree or credential after high school. Today’s speech recognizes education reform as both a civil rights and an economic security priority for everyone in this country.
 
We are committed to working with the president and his administration, members of Congress, governors, and other bold leaders across America who are making it a top priority to ensure that all young people graduate prepared for college and career success."

Find out more about the foundation’s education work in the United States.