Dr. Jill Biden and the leaders of the ten finalists for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. (Photo by Patrice Gilbert)

Community colleges play a critical role in preparing the American workforce for prosperity in the economy of the 21^st century. Americans now more than ever need a postsecondary education to learn the skills they need to be successful in the workplace and to keep our businesses thriving in a globally competitive environment.

Community colleges are educating the next generation of American workers and leaders by providing more Americans than ever with training for success in a knowledge based economy. Our best community colleges are on the cutting edge of innovation, showing us what can happen when a college reaches beyond its campus to partner with businesses and four-year colleges in order to expand opportunity, provide intensive preparation for career, and ensure excellence leading up to graduation and into the workforce. As the unsung heroes of higher education, these schools are shining examples of what can happen when institutions work hard to improve student learning and increase degree completion.  

We acknowledge the important work of our best community colleges in developing our citizens, our economy, and our nation. At the National Press Club on Monday, Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan took time to salute to the finalists and winner of the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. In these community colleges, our Administration has a strong partner in endeavoring toward the President’s 2020 goal to again lead the world in college completion.

The first-ever winner of the Aspen Prize is Valencia Community College from Orlando, FL. Demonstrating a strong commitment to completion, Valencia offers clear pathways to student success, from associate’s degree programs with guaranteed admission to the selective University of Central Florida to technical degree programs that have career advisers embedded in each program. The environment at Valencia is marked by professors and administrators taking responsibility for student success, consistently asking what they each can do to improve student outcomes. And with a strong data system in place, the graduation and workforce results are clear. These outcomes are important to Valencia’s diverse student body (about half are Hispanic or African American), a significant number of whom come from lower-income households.

Monday’s ceremony also shed light on the outstanding work of finalist institutions for the Aspen Prize. Through their applications, Lake Area Technical Institute (Watertown, SD), Miami Dade College (Miami, FL), Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla, WA), and West Kentucky Community and Technical College (Paducah, KY) all demonstrated bold commitment to results in preparing students for academic and professional success. Each one is a leader in career preparation and student achievement, supporting strong pathways to successful completion of four-year degrees and jobs in their communities.

As leaders in innovation and outcomes, Valencia Community College and the four Aspen Prize finalists are blazing a trail of prosperity for more students in the 21^st century. The President praises the important work of these community colleges as we strive toward graduating ever more students ready to compete in the 21^st  century economy.

President Obama recently announced a major new proposal called the American Jobs Act and sent legislation to Congress for action.  The American Jobs Act is all about getting Americans working and putting money back in the pockets of the American people, and nonprofit organizations are a key part of this bill. 

The President recognizes that roughly one in twelve workers in the United States are employed in the nonprofit sector, which is why he made nonprofits – both faith-based and secular – a key part of this bill.  The Act will help all Americans by creating jobs now, sparking economic growth, and providing relief to millions of families.  Under the Act, all business and organizations – including nonprofits – can receive a tax credit through partnering with state entities when they hire long-term unemployed individuals or veterans.  The Act also includes an innovative entrepreneurship and wage protection program that will allow unemployed workers to receive unemployment insurance while they start new businesses – including nonprofit enterprises.  And employers won’t have to be as hesitant to hire new employees, because the American Jobs Act would cut the payroll tax in half for the first $5 million in wages, and temporarily eliminate employer payroll taxes on wages for new workers or raises for existing workers.  This is great news for many small business and nonprofit organizations.

The President is committed to making sure these initiatives are fully paid for, so we don’t add another dime to the federal deficit.  To do that, all Americans will have to pitch in.  For example, high-income earners will continue to receive the benefit of the tax code when they give to nonprofits.  However, instead of a 35 percent deduction, the wealthiest Americans will receive a 28 percent deduction that is more in line with what other earners receive.  Middle income donors will continue to get a 15 percent deduction. Far from a cap on charitable giving, this proposal continues to encourage giving, while helping make sure the jobs package is fully paid for. 

The President is supporting nonprofits through the American Jobs Act because these groups are working so hard to bring economic opportunity to low-income communities.  Across the country, innovative organizations are creating solutions to the challenge of unemployment.  For example, David, a young man in the Bay Area, was racing against the clock to find a job before his unemployment benefits ran out when he found the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), a nonprofit that connects young people and adults to gainful employment.  Through REDF, David found a job as an operations supervisor of Green Streets and he now helps reduce landfill waste in low-income neighborhoods by an average of 40 percent.  David says that Green Streets has changed his life.  And more than helping David find another job, REDF helped him find a career. 

Another innovative nonprofit grew out of a church’s commitment to providing alternatives to gang violence. In Los Angeles, CA, Homeboy Industries, founded by Father Greg Boyle, uses a social enterprise model to assist at-risk, recently incarcerated, and formerly gang-involved young people. After completing the organization’s job-readiness programs, participants are placed in one of four businesses run by Homeboy, where former rivals work side by side baking bread, learning to silkscreen, developing retail skills, or running a restaurant and catering business.

The American Jobs Act builds on a record of accomplishment in support of nonprofits, including passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which would dramatically increase the size of AmeriCorps, create new avenues for Americans to serve their communities and invest in innovative community solutions through the Social Innovation Fund. 

There is no one sector that can revitalize a struggling economy on its own, not government, not nonprofits, not public or private organizations.  But together, all sectors can make a difference and put Americans back to work.  We are proud that the American Jobs Act recognizes the critical role that faith-based and secular nonprofits play in the American economy and social service sector.  And we hope Congress works swiftly to pass this bill, for the benefit of all Americans.

Learn more about how the American Jobs Act helps nonprofits here: Non-Profits and the American Jobs Act.

Melody Barnes is President Obama's Domestic Policy Adviser and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council

President Barack Obama talks with rural community leaders from across the country at a Rural Champions for Change Roundtable meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, July 6, 2011. With President Obama are Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, second from left, and Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).

One of the most gratifying aspects of working in the White House is that you never know who you might see on a daily basis. A wonderful and diverse cadre of Americans pass through for meetings and events, including renowned scientists, members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and occasionally even entertainment celebrities. Often, these visitors represent the most talented leaders in their respective fields.

With this in mind, I was particularly pleased to recently participate in a Champions of Change roundtable with eighteen Rural Americans, representing the spectrum of excellence in Rural America. The group included farmers, ranchers, local educators, small business owners, and folks who are improving their communities through innovative actions. These rural champions represent the best of the best in their respective fields.

We were honored to be joined by President Obama, who shared his vision for economic growth and development in rural areas. The President highlighted the importance of exports in agricultural areas, and the critical nature of transportation issues. He emphasized the need for high-speed internet access and stated that rural areas should expect to have opportunities equivalent to those in other areas of the nation. The President also discussed the importance of identifying rural Americans’ success stories and sharing that knowledge across the country.

And that was precisely what the Rural Champions roundtable was all about. Learning about the innovation that’s led to success in rural America. I was pleased to hear from a couple from Georgia who are using their family farm to develop alternative energy sources and contributing to their local economy. Similarly, I was inspired to learn about an Illinois project dedicated to assisting female farmers improve their operations and become more profitable. And I learned from a Texan about local efforts to grow local talent and a high-skilled labor pool. Everyone enjoyed the rich conversation and the opportunity to exchange ideas about innovation and economic diversification. It was also a moment to experience the camaraderie of the group as everyone enjoyed several laughs with President Obama, including a conversation about the best technique for roasting marshmallows!

Our Champions for Change roundtable reminded me that across our country Americans are contributing to their communities, building local capacity and strengthening the fabric of our nation. Rural Americans may not see themselves as champions, but they represent the kind of innovation and extraordinary achievement that make the United States great.

If you visit a farm machinery dealership anywhere in the country and ask for a “Champion,” you would likely be given a spark plug. As I sat with our 18 Rural Champions for Change, I saw the talent, energy and “can-do” spirit that serve as a daily spark for America.

Melody Barnes is the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

Strong Cities, Strong Communities is a new interagency pilot initiative that aims to strengthen neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions around the country by strengthening the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies. Strong Cities, Strong Communities bolsters local governments by providing necessary technical assistance and access to federal agency expertise, and creating new public and private sector partnerships. By leveraging existing assets, providing new resources, and fostering new connections at the local and national level, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support towns and cities as they develop comprehensive plans for their communities and invest in economic growth and job creation.

For more information about this innovative new initiative and its goals, check out the launch video:

As I mentioned in the video, Strong Cities, Strong Communities pilots a new approach to federal-local collaboration that allows the federal government to support efforts from the ground up in four key ways:

1. Community Solutions Teams will leverage expertise in areas like health, education and transportation to support the six pilot cities as they capitalize on opportunities and tackle challenges
2. A fellowship program that will place mid-career professionals in city agencies in the same six cities to work closely with the Community Solutions Teams, increasing the capacity of mayors and their staffs on key priorities
3. A new Economic Planning Challenge grant that, through a national competition, will help additional communities – those without an economic blueprint – design a comprehensive strategy
4. And the National Resource Network that, pending funding, will serve as a one-stop-shop for local governments to receive technical assistance from national experts with wide-ranging skills critical for promoting economic growth and resiliency.

This morning, Strong Cities, Strong Communities was announced across the country in the six pilot locations:

• In Chester, PA, the Community Solutions Team will help Mayor Butler diversify the local economy, support small business development and revitalize the downtown.
• In Cleveland, OH, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support Mayor Jackson in his efforts to coordinate workforce and economic development and to maximize the economic potential of the Cleveland Port.
• In Detroit, MI, the Community Solutions Team will partner with Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder to increase coordination and alignment on workforce and economic development issues, and to leverage U.S. DOT's investments in High Speed Rail and the Woodward Avenue light rail project to spur economic revitalization in the downtown corridor.
• In Fresno, CA, Mayor Swearengin and the Community Solutions Team will work to capitalize on the coming high-speed rail station to improve the downtown area, and will also build on a successful neighborhood development program.
• In Memphis, TN, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will partner with Mayor Wharton and his team to pursue his vision to strengthen the education system and attract new industries.
• And in New Orleans, LA, Mayor Landrieu and the Communities Solutions Team will work to integrate existing federal resources to improve the delivery of health services, manage public safety and rebuild public infrastructure.

Over the coming months, with the support of Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiatives, these cities and others across the country will pursue their plans for growth and development, helping to create jobs and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Americans. We are looking forward to working with you, in your community, to win the future by building stronger and more resilient communities and laying the foundation for economic growth.

To help students make informed decisions about their choice for higher education, today the Department of Education launched an online College Affordability and Transparency Center on the Department of Education’s College Navigator website. As part of this Center, the Department posted lists that highlight institutions with the highest tuition prices, highest net prices, and institutions whose prices are rising at the fastest rates. Institutions whose prices are rising the fastest will report why costs have gone up and how the institution will address rising prices. The Department will summarize these reports and make them publicly available to parents and students.

The President has been committed to making higher education more affordable, and today’s announcement complements our ongoing efforts. Since taking office, we have worked to expand student aid, improve options to repay student loans, and give more students access to higher education. We have also enhanced consumer information on the FAFSA and on the College Navigator portal, a resource that can provide information on thousands of institutions of higher education across the nation. These existing tools will complement the informative resources newly available today.

But colleges also have a role to play as we work to ease the financial burden of higher education. In his State of the Union address last year, the President called on colleges to do a better job of keeping costs down. Additionally, state budget constraints present increasing challenges for affordability. Too often the answer has been to cut aid to public colleges and increase tuition, pushing the financial burden on families already struggling to make ends meet.

Ultimately, better information alone will not cure the problem of college affordability. However, it will enhance the choices and decisions made by families as they pursue higher education. The new College Transparency and Affordability Center is just a first step in helping students better understand their path in postsecondary education; the Administration will continue to promote transparency in educational costs that will help all current and prospective students of higher education make a smart investment in their postsecondary studies.

Melody Barnes is Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Often, people think that large corporations and the government are the dominant drivers of our economic growth, but there are many types of businesses that expand our economy and catalyze job creation.  Today, we are highlighting an emerging sector of the economy, impact investing.   Impact investing is currently estimated to be a $50 billion industry globally, but the Monitor Group and Hope Consulting predict that the impact investment industry could reach several hundred billion dollars in total assets under management over the next ten years.  

Impact investors, many of whom are gathered today at the White House, are seeking both financial and social returns. They believe that business has an opportunity to create economic value and positive social  outcomes.  They often make debt or equity investments in organizations that address major societal challenges such as economic opportunity, affordable housing, health care, education, or clean energy and improving the environment, while expecting a return on their invested capital.

At today’s convening, the White House and the Aspen Institute will facilitate a conversation between investors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and executives along with policymakers about the emerging impact economy. These participants will discuss how to transform our economic landscape by creating better jobs that also strengthen our communities. The social benefits created by such businesses should be sustainable over the long-term, because they simultaneously generate financial returns. The Administration officials attending the event will be engaging with entrepreneurs and investors to understand how to remove barriers, streamline regulations and target existing government resources to support the building of an impact economy.  
 
I look forward to meeting the entrepreneurs and investors, including social entrepreneurs such as Priya Haji, who have created businesses that generate both profits and social good. I look forward to hearing from impact investors  -- like Stephen DeBerry -- who are seeding new entrepreneurs and investing in their plans to win the future. I am excited to learn from conventional investors, like Ron Cordes, who are working to ensure that financial markets are a more effective tool to create social good.  We hope this event will encourage more investors to make similar investments and help build an impact economy in the United States.
 
Creating an impact economy will help fuel job growth, promote innovation, and advance grassroots social change across America. I believe that today will mark the beginning of an important and productive conversation about what the impact economy can become.

But it’s not all about artists coming here to play for the First Family. The President and the First Lady believe it’s imperative that the best, the brightest and the most creative should share their talents, their secrets, their successes – their failures -- and teach and inspire the next generation, like Elizabeth Alexander, Rita Dove, Billy Collins, Kenny Goldsmith, Alison Knowles, and Aimee Mann did yesterday at an afternoon student poetry workshop in the State Dining Room.

The arts are not just for those who go on to become professional artists. Research shows that girls and boys, young men and women who have art classes are more likely to be engaged in their classes, attend school, achieve better test scores, and graduate.  In fact, just last Friday, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities released a stellar report, Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools, which details the powerful role that arts education strategies can play in closing the achievement gap, improving student engagement, and building creativity and nurturing innovative thinking skills.

President Barack Obama drops by the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 11, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Education is one of our nation’s most important investments. And an education without the arts is incomplete.  As a candidate, when President Obama spoke about remaining competitive in the global economy and the importance of innovation, he said that meant not only teaching our children science and math skills but also encouraging them to think creatively and be rewarded with all that comes with being engaged in creative endeavors: the awareness that comes with self-expression; the sense of strength that comes when you share your authentic voice; and a fresh, innovative perspective on problems of all stripes when you’re using all of your brain. Failure to invest in a well-rounded education for our children will thwart our efforts to lead in a new economy where critical thinking and creativity will be the keys to success.

That means that arts education can’t be an afterthought — an investment that our schools can make only after they’ve solved all the other challenges they face.  Instead, we must see it as a tool for keeping students more engaged, for closing achievement gaps and lowering dropout rates. My office, along with the Department of Education, is working with the President’s Committee to take next steps on the report’s recommendations and work with other government, private and philanthropic partners as well to realize a complete and competitive education – from cradle to career – for all children.

Melody Barnes is the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council

Read the full report from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities here.  A summary of the report is also available here.

Today, the President travels to El Paso, Texas – a historic, thriving and diverse border community – to discuss his commitment to fixing our broken immigration system and the importance of building a new one for the 21st century. He believes we need to reform our immigration laws so that they address our economic and security needs while also honoring our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. 

Over the last several weeks, the President has met with and heard from leaders and stakeholders from a variety of sectors, including faith, business and law enforcement officials, as well as current and former elected officials and others. Like many Americans, these leaders know that the generations of immigrants who have braved hardship and great risk to reach our shores have made America what it is today – a strong and prosperous nation, engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world.

We have already made significant progress securing the borders, enforcing the law, and improving the legal immigration system. Over the last two years, the Obama Administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to these efforts. There are more boots on the ground on the Southwest border than at any time in our history. The buildup began under the previous administration, and has continued. We have also tripled the number of intelligence analysts, deployed unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles, and nearly completed the fence that was demanded back in 2007. These efforts have helped to make our country more secure. But we cannot solve the problems of our broken immigration system through enforcement alone.

Unscrupulous businesses have to be held accountable, and cannot continue to exploit undocumented workers, undermining American workers and those businesses who want to play by the rules. Those that are here illegally have a responsibility too. They must register and get right with the law, pay their respective taxes and fines, learn English and submit to background checks before they can get in line to apply for a legal status. Finally, we need to make changes to our immigration system so that it better meets our diverse needs. 

We should be making it easier for the best and the brightest to study here, start businesses and create jobs. We should stop punishing innocent young people by denying them the chance to earn an education or serve in the military so they can contribute to the country where they’ve grown up. We must finish the work Congress started last year, and pass the DREAM Act. We must respect families following the rules – reuniting them instead of splitting them apart. And, we need to provide farmers a legal way to hire workers and a path for those workers to earn legal status.

The President wants to have a civil and constructive debate on this issue so that we can fix our broken immigration system. To help us reach this goal, the Obama Administration is releasing a Blueprint for Building a 21st Century Immigration System (pdf). The Blueprint summarizes the progress we have made in securing our borders, enforcing our laws, and improving our legal immigration system; discusses the economic benefits of immigration reform; and outlines the President’s vision of a 21st century immigration policy. 

Download the Blueprint (pdf).  

This year, one lucky high school will have an unforgettable commencement speaker – President Obama – and we need your help to determine which school it will be.

As part of the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, public high schools around the country submitted an application earlier this year that describe how their school is preparing students for college and a career. We’ve narrowed down the schools to six finalists and now it’s your turn to weigh in.  Each school produced a short video with help from the Get Schooled Foundation and essay. You can review and rate each school on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest) between today and Friday April 29 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Your ratings will help us narrow down the pool to three finalists and President Obama will select the winning school from one of these three. 

Check out this video of President Obama asking for your feedback on the Commencement Challenge finalists, and then head over to WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement to rate each finalist. 

The Commencement Challenge gives public high schools a chance to demonstrate how their school best prepares students for college and a career, helping America win the future by out-educating our competitors and achieving President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

Each of the six finalists schools are an excellent example of the best America’s public schools have to offer.  Take a moment to watch their videos, read their essays and rate each school.

Yesterday, I joined the President at an important meeting with a broad group of business, law enforcement, faith, and elected leaders from across the country.  The President was joined by several members of his Cabinet, including Secretaries Janet Napolitano, Hilda Solis, Ken Salazar, and Attorney General Eric Holder, all of whom have been actively engaged in the Administration’s efforts to advance legislation to improve our system in the key areas that they oversee.

The President made a strong case that immigration reform needs to be a priority, not just for him but for all of the people in the room.  He heard their concerns and got feedback on how to advance legislative efforts to get the job done. The President urged them to lead serious and civil discussions in their sectors and around the country to help create the space for congressional action.  I hope others will join the President in bringing the debate to their own communities.

President Barack Obama meets with a group of business, law enforcement, faith, and current and former elected leaders to discuss immigration, in the State Dining Room of the White House, April 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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It was inspiring to hear about the important work already underway – work that will build the momentum for immigration reform critical to our economic future, global competitiveness, and national security interests. It was also a reminder of all the work that needs to be done. 

As we work toward immigration reform, the Administration will continue to look for ways to improve our legal immigration system, secure the borders, and enhance our enforcement strategy so that it is smarter and more effective at removing criminals and prosecuting unscrupulous employers. But enforcement alone will not solve our immigration problem.  We need reform that affirms our history as both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants – and to do that, we need to work together to pass legislation.

Immigration reform has always been a bipartisan issue, and the President believes it can and should be again.  Democrats, Republicans and Independents working together can enact meaningful, lasting reforms and make the right choices for our future.

Melody Barnes is an Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

April 12 marks Equal Pay Day and, unfortunately, pay equity is still an aspiration -  not a reality.  In 1963, women earned 59 cents for every dollar earned by a man.  While that’s no longer the case, on average, women still make only about 77 cents for every dollar that men earn and are more likely than men to live in poverty. Even adjusting for variables like education level and time in the workforce, there remains a persistent wage gap between women and men, resulting in innumerable missed opportunities over the course of a woman’s lifetime. 

And the pay gap isn’t just a women’s problem, it’s a burden on families.  In 2010, when women make up nearly half the workforce, two-thirds of American families with children rely on women’s wages as a significant portion of the family income.  As we emerge from one of the worst recessions in American history, when families are struggling to pay their bills and save for the future, pay inequality only deepens that struggle and hampers our nation’s ability to fully recover.  The last thing our families can afford is to take home less pay because of discrimination. 

President Obama understands that different pay for employees based solely on gender is simply wrong.  That’s why the first bill he signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act empowering female employees by restoring basic protections against pay discrimination. As Lilly explains, she not only lost approximately $224,000 in salary due to discrimination but she lost significant amounts more because the lower paychecks were used to calculate her pension and Social Security benefits. 

Lilly’s story is all too common.  Studies indicate that by the time a woman is 25, she is likely to have lost the opportunity to earn thousands of dollars, as compared to her male counterpart.  That could be a substantial reduction in her student loans or savings to buy a home.  If we can equalize pay, by the time a woman is 45, she could earn tens of thousands of dollars more; and by the time she is 65, she could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more than she would in an unequal system.  She would no longer have to choose between paying her rent or medical bills; she could invest in a home and better afford her children’s education.  And that does not account for the retirement savings and benefits she would have earned had she not encountered discrimination – resources that would further reduce the burden to her family and to society.  We will all benefit when women are paid their equal share.

President Obama cares deeply about this issue—as a father, as a husband, and as someone who understands how much this issue impacts our nation’s economic well-being.  That’s why the Administration strongly supports passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act that rewards employers who treat their employees fairly, as opposed to those who boost their bottom line by discriminating against women.  This important piece of legislation almost made it to the President’s desk last year, and we urge Congress to pursue the fight for equal pay. 

Until Congress sends President Obama a bill he can sign into law, we’re doing all we can to support and empower women and smart employers.  The White House convened an Equal Pay Task Force to educate employers and employees about their rights, ensure compliance with equal pay laws and encourage agencies to improve coordination and enforcement efforts at the federal level.  The President also created the White House Council on Women and Girls, comprised of Cabinet members and heads of sub-Cabinet agencies; the Council is charged with advancing the rights and needs of women, including equal pay. 

In the past four decades, Lassie and The Beatles have faded from the forefront, but women are front and center when it comes to supporting family budgets and our national economy.  They’re invaluable contributors at work – standing shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues to get the job done – and, when that’s the case, they deserve to have a paycheck that reflects a job well-done, not gender bias.  Most employers know that, but for those who do not, we need the Paycheck Fairness Act and we need it now.

• Bridgeport High School (Bridgeport, Washington)
• Wayne Early Middle College High School (Goldsboro, North Carolina)
• Booker T. Washington High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
• Science Park High School (Newark, New Jersey)
• Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, School for Creative and Performing Arts (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• High Tech High School International (San Diego, California)

We received hundreds of outstanding applications, and it was incredibly difficult to choose from among so many inspiring and deserving schools. 

White House staffers Lauren Paige and Gannet Tseggai called each of the six finalists to share the good news.  Take a look at some of their enthusiastic responses:

Watch the video of the phone calls to the six finalists here.

Last year, President Obama launched the first ever Race to the Top Commencement Challenge and encouraged public high schools across the country to show how they are preparing students for college and career. This year, the President renewed the challenge, calling on high schools to share effective strategies on how they are preparing their students to win the future and achieve the goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

So, what happens next?  In the coming weeks, we’ll feature the six finalists on WhiteHouse.gov and let you vote for your favorites.  The top three schools will then be sent to the President for the final selection. 

Stay tuned to WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement so you can help choose the winning high school.

Learn more about Race to the Top.

Although our economy relies on oil, America only controls about two percent of this resource. And rapid economic growth and demand for oil in China and India makes it certain that prices aren’t likely to fall to levels that will bring relief to American families. That’s why we need more efficient vehicles – and electric vehicles that can be charged at home.  Just think how many families we can touch by reaching the President’s goal of putting a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

American families are not only feeling the weight of high prices at the pump, but also in their home electricity bills. Renting families are often stuck with high-energy-consuming appliances while other families looking to update their homes face high purchase prices for new efficient equipment. That’s why the Administration is also committed to helping American families make their homes more energy efficient.  Through investments that we’ve made through the Recovery Act, we’ve already helped weatherize about 350,000 projects that are helping lower income Americans reduce energy bills at home. We are also committed to passing “HOMESTAR” legislation that will help families finance home energy improvements by delivering rebates directly to consumers at the point of sale. 

You can learn about these and our other energy policies in our Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future (pdf) or see some quick facts below:   

Reduce Consumer Costs at the Pump with More Efficient Cars and Trucks

• Better Mileage for Our Cars:  The historic national fuel standards announced by the Obama Administration for model years 2012 – 2016 will …
  • Raise average fuel economy to 35.5 mpg by 2016, while maintaining consumer choice. The 2012-2016 standards alone are estimated to…
  • Save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles covered
  • Save the average driver roughly $3,000 over the life of their vehicle(model year 2016).
• Getting away from gas costs by putting a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015
  • A consumer driving an electric car would save over $630 per year powering the car with electricity generated in American power plants instead of gasoline.
  • We’ve proposed to make electric vehicles more affordable with a rebate up to $7,500—which would transform an existing $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles into a rebate that will be available to all consumers immediately at the point of sale.
  • And, we’re investing in making the electric vehicle technology more affordable for consumers.  As a result of the investments that we made through the Recovery Act, advanced battery costs (the biggest cost of electric cars) are expected, by 2013, to drop by half of what they were in 2009 and continue dropping from there. 

Cutting energy bills at home by passing HOMESTAR  

• HOMESTAR Program of Rebates Delivered Directly to Consumers: The Administration has continued to advocate for the consumer-friendly HOMESTAR program.  Like the Cash for Clunkers program, consumers would be eligible for direct HOMESTAR rebates at the point of sale for a variety of energy-saving investments in their homes. A broad array of vendors, from small independent building material dealers, large national home improvement chains, energy efficiency installation professionals and utility energy efficiency programs (including rural utilities) would market the rebates, provide them directly to consumers and then be reimbursed by the Federal government.
• $1,000 - $1,500 Silver Star Rebates: As part of the HOMESTAR program, consumers looking to have simple upgrades performed in their homes would be eligible for 50% rebates up to $1,000 - $1,500 for doing any of a straightforward set of upgrades, including: insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, HVAC units, windows, roofing and doors. Under Silver Star, consumers can chose a combination of upgrades for rebates up to a maximum of $3,000 per home. Rebates would be limited to the most energy efficient categories of upgrades—focusing on products made primarily in the United States and installed by certified contractors.
• $3,000 Gold Star Rebates: Consumers interested in more comprehensive energy efficiency projects would be eligible for a $3,000 rebate for a whole home energy audit and subsequent energy improvement project tailored to achieve a 20% energy savings in their homes. Under HOMESTAR, consumers could receive additional rebate amounts for energy savings in excess of 20%. Gold Star would build on existing whole home energy efficiency programs, like EPA’s successful Home Performance with Energy Star program.

Melody Barnes is Director of the Domestic Policy Council

Last week, through our Advise the Advisor program, I asked parents, teachers, and students about how they’re sharing the responsibility in preparing our students for the 21^st Century.

Thousands of you—from teachers, students, and parents to grandparents, concerned citizens, and others—sent us ideas about our education system.  A team here reviewed every submission.  We want to share some of those submissions, and some thoughts.

Parents

We asked parents to describe ways in which they were taking responsibility for their child’s education.  And we received some great feedback.  

Many parents told us that being involved with their child’s education makes a world of difference, especially when it comes to academic success.   We heard stories about parents who, when they saw their child’s poor grades, took action by helping with homework, talking with teachers, or working with their son or daughter to study.  

Other parents told us that they were reinforcing at home what their child learned in school—by listening and discussing the day’s lessons, re-reading a school book, or another activity.

Some parents told us that they encourage their child learn more about the world around them—by discussing current events, or helping to plan field trips.  Julie from Alabama had a great suggestion:

I round out my children's education by finding out what the lessons were today and talking about how the information fits in a broader context, in a broader world view. I also take the kids to museums, send them links to news articles, talk to them about politics and everything that is going on around us, and try to get them to understand that there are many points of view and to always look deeper.

Parents like Julie are critical to our students and to their academic success.  We need parents who are able to take responsibility for their child’s education—by getting involved, talking with teachers, and providing the support and resources their child needs.

Students

We asked students to tell us how their education is preparing them for college and 21^st century careers. Many students told us how important education was for their future, as well as the future of our country.

Many said that we need to continue providing and supporting great teachers in every classroom, as well as great principals in every school.  Yet many students are concerned that school budget cuts will hurt their ability to learn.  Sarah from Florida had this to say:

If the budget for education keeps shrinking, the next generation of students will be unable to compete for these new jobs. Please help us and keep on funding the big universities as well, but high schools need all they can get to fund this pertinent education.

We agree with Sarah.  Investing in education is one of the smartest steps we can take for our future.  It’s no secret that our country is facing some tough economic times, or that the federal government, like many American families, has had to tighten its belt and live within its means.  But even as we work to get our fiscal house in order, we must make sure that we don’t sacrifice our future.

That’s why President Obama’s 2012 budget proposal includes important investments in education like supporting Pell Grants, preparing 100,000 new science, technology, engineering and math teachers, and expanding the successful Race to the Top program to drive reform in schools across the country.

Teachers

We asked teachers to describe ways in which they prepare their students for college and career, as well as some of the challenges they face.

We heard from a lot of teachers, many of whom expressed frustration about a lack of flexibility to be creative in teaching students the skills they’ll need to succeed beyond the classroom.  Many of teachers expressed concern about the pressure to “teach for the test,” rather than help students learn the information.

Teachers across the nation emphasized the importance of reforming the “No Child Left Behind” law. Sam from North Carolina wrote:

We need greater resources to teach students without the restrictions of teaching to a standardized test... There is a place for testing, but NCLB has changed education drastically, and not for the better.

The President and I agree that it is time to replace No Child Left Behind with a law that doesn’t simply identify shortcomings in the system.  We need a law that focuses on solutions. 

Last Monday, the President spoke about a series of reforms we need to win the future for our students, including:

• A flexible and focused accountability system that promotes shared responsibility, college and career readiness, and rewards achievement.
• Support for reform and innovation at the state and local level that will empower both principals and teachers.
• New efforts to drive resources and reform to the Nation's persistently low-performing schools and those with the greatest achievement gaps, and to ensure there is a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal in every school.

The President and I believe that we need to take responsibility for our students’ education and fix this law.

The Race to the Top Commencement Challenge is back and we’re asking public high school students from across the country to tell us about ways their school is preparing them for college and a career.  In return, we'll make sure one high school has a graduation they'll never forget – including a commencement address by President Obama himself.

President Obama and our Administration believe education is key to winning the future. In order to ensure our long-term economic success, we need to focus on out-educating and out-competing the world.  That means helping to prepare students today for the jobs of tomorrow.  It means equipping students with the skills they’ll need to succeed in the 21st Century economy – encouraging them to be creative, to solve problems, to work together to design solutions to important problems. 

The Race to the Top Commencement Challenge is just one of the many ways we’re encouraging young people to actively engage in their educational success. Last year, over 1000 schools applied.  This year, we hope to continue encouraging applications from students from across the country. We’re accepting applications until Friday, March 11 at WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement.

Apply today and don't miss this opportunity to have an unforgettable high school commencement.

We are excited that the President has tapped leaders from the private and non-profit sectors, academia, philanthropy, and community organizations to serve on the Council. The members are in Washington, D.C. tomorrow for the first Council meeting.  Public portions of the meeting are streaming live today from 1-3 p.m. EST at  obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/live and footage will be available on obamawhitehouse.archives.gov soon.

Over the past few months, Council members have been taking the time to learn more about ongoing youth development work and effective models for cross-sector solutions. The difficult economic times have hit young people especially hard. Currently, approximately 4 million young people are disconnected from both education and employment.  The President and the Council are concerned about both the immediate and long-term impact that such a trend will have on our nation’s workforce. This is a real opportunity to improve individual lives, as well as our nation’s economic future.

In the coming months, Council members will visit successful youth development programs across the country. They will engage with leaders to understand what elements of programs have been instrumental in program success and will look at frameworks for successful cross-sector collaborations. 

Check www.serve.gov for more updates on the Council.

Melody Barnes is Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

Today, the President launched his second annual Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. The 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge invites public high schools across the country to demonstrate how their school best prepares them for college and a career, helping America win the future by out-educating our competitors, preparing today’s students for the jobs of tomorrow,  and achieving President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

Last year, over 1000 schools applied and more than 170,000 people voted on short videos and essays from the six finalists.  President Obama selected the national winner from the three high schools with the highest average ratings (you can see all the 2010 finalists here).  This year, the President has renewed the challenge. 

In order to participate, schools are asked to submit an online application at WhiteHouse.gov/commencement.  The application consists of three short essay questions, relevant supporting data, and an optional video that demonstrate how their school successfully prepares students for academic and career success.  Graduation rates, course offerings, and more will be used to select the winning school.      

The deadline to submit applications is Friday, March 11, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.  Following the application deadline, the White House and Department of Education will select 6 finalists. Viacom, the Get Schooled Foundation and the White House will work with these six schools to create short videos that will be featured, along with the essay questions, on the White House web site. The public will then have an opportunity to vote for the three schools they think best meet the President’s goal. The President will select a national winner from these three and visit the winning high school to deliver the commencement address to the class of 2011.  Senior administration officials will attend the commencements of the five runner-up schools. 

Learn more about Race to the Top.

• Continue to make border security the responsibility and priority of the federal government,
• Hold accountable businesses that break the law by exploiting undocumented workers,
• Make those living in the United States illegally take responsibility for their actions, and
• Strengthen our economic competiveness by creating a legal immigration system that meets our diverse needs.

Over the last two years, the President has taken his responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and secure our borders very seriously.  This Administration dedicated unprecedented resources to secure our borders, implemented smarter, more strategic interior and worksite enforcement policies, and improved our legal immigration system. 

These efforts have had real results.  Our borders are more secure than ever. Apprehensions along the border reflect far fewer attempts to cross illegally while seizures of illegal currency, drugs, and guns are dramatically up – leading  to increased criminal arrests and prosecutions. In FY 2010 the Administration increased the number of convicted criminals removed from our country by more than 23,000,  which represents a  more than 70 percent increase  from the previous Administration. 

Additionally, we have more than doubled the number of worksite enforcement investigations conducted in FY 2010 as compared to FY 2008. These investigations have led to millions of dollars of fines levied against employers who have violated immigration laws. We have also improved our legal immigration system by reducing backlogs of immigration applications and devoting critical funding to promote innovative citizenship preparation and integration programs in communities throughout the country.

We all benefit from the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that immigrants bring to our shores. Indeed, it has made us the engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world. I was reminded of this last Independence Day when I had the honor of speaking at a naturalization ceremony right in the shadow of the Statute of Liberty on Ellis Island.  We honored and celebrated 143 new citizens from 57 countries, each with their own unique story of how they came to America and what they have done to make it their home. Among the group were individuals who came to our country as young children, college students, working professionals, and victims of oppression.

In his State of the Union address, the President called on Republicans and Democrats to work with him on this critical issue.  He acknowledged that the debate will not be easy, but the American people expect their leaders to come together to tackle the important issues confronting our nation. Winning the future and building a competitive America demands an immigration system that works.

We need comprehensive immigration reform that respects our nation’s laws while continuing our rich tradition as a nation of immigrants and that strengthens our efforts to secure our borders while allowing immigrants to contribute fully to our country and our economy.  In the coming weeks, that’s the consensus the President and his Administration will seek to build.

Alzheimer’s disease currently affects 5.3 million Americans, a number which is expected to increase fourfold by 2050.  Additionally, there are nearly 11 million unpaid caregivers and the Nation spends an estimated $172 billion in annual costs.

Signing NAPA builds on a commitment made to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease at a meeting that was held at the White House on World Alzheimer’s Day last September.  We brought together leading Alzheimer’s disease advocates, researchers, health and long-term care experts, and others to commemorate World Alzheimer’s Day. 

Developing a national plan to respond to this disease is critical for making sure that we are supporting individuals and families as effectively as possible and making important research investments to develop effective therapeutics and change the trajectory of this disease.  The Obama Administration looks forward to implementing this legislation.

During these visits, we heard firsthand how the economic downturn has created challenges in rural America as well as how rural communities are responding to the downturn by leading the charge on a number of important national priorities, such as increasing the production of renewable energy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, creating and expanding small businesses, and contributing talent and energy to national service.  Members of the Cabinet and other senior officials learned about the importance of agriculture education and supporting the development of the next generation of farmers and ranchers, talked about the Obama Administration’s commitment to making college more affordable and accessible for all students, and discussed the significant investments that are being made in rural communities thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The steps that the Administration has taken over the past two years to support rural communities – investing in critical rural infrastructure and education, improving access to affordable health care, reforming our financial regulatory systems, promoting biofuels and other renewable energy, and expanding exports, to name a few – are critical building blocks in our effort to keep America’s rural communities strong and vibrant. 

See a map below of all the fairs Administration officials visited, and scroll over it for details.

Melody Barnes is Director of the Domestic Policy Council

Since June of 2009, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities has been building economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation. Examples include:

• EPA grants to develop area-wide plans for the reuse of formerly contaminated properties and targeted technical assistance to communities tackling growth and development issues;
• HUD Sustainable Community Regional Planning Grants to assist in the development and execution of regional plans that integrate affordable housing with neighboring retail and business development and realize more livable and sustainable communities across the country;
• DOT TIGER II Grants to fund innovative surface transportation projects that can improve communities’ quality of life while advancing broader transportation goals;
• And, awarded in conjunction with DOT’s TIGER II grants, HUD Community Challenge Planning Grants to support local planning activities that integrate transportation, housing, and economic development.                                                                                                                                                             

Coordinating federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services meets multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives with each dollar spent.  At a time when every dollar the federal government invests in jumpstarting the economy is critical, the President’s plan ensures that all these agencies are coordinating efforts and targeting resources with precision.  This collaboration gets better results for communities and uses taxpayer money more efficiently. 

The Sustainable Communities Partnership is yet another foundational pillar of the President’s urban agenda; last month you learned more about the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.  Both of these initiatives show that the federal government is doing business in a new way to more effectively serve the American people and our communities in urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods.

The Obama Administration is committed to strengthening our nation’s response to the disease and this meeting was a serious effort to better understand the challenges and opportunities available to us.  The meeting brought together some of the Administration’s key leaders in responding to the disease, including Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging at HHS, Dr. Richard Hodes, Director of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, and Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform.

The meeting also included distinguished outside experts as well.  Admiral David Satcher, former United States Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health and member of the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Study Group presented key recommendations from the Study Group’s report.  We were also joined by people living with Alzheimer’s disease, nationally recognized researchers, and persons with expertise in health care delivery and family caregiving issues.

By coming together and recommitting ourselves, we can and must do more to tackle this serious challenge. 

I encourage you to watch the video of the meeting.
 

The goal of the Initiative is to support the transformation of distressed neighborhoods into neighborhoods of opportunity – places that provide the resources, and environment that children, youth, and adults need to succeed.  This means high-quality schools and educational programs; safe and affordable housing; thriving commercial establishments; art and cultural amenities; and parks and other recreational spaces.

To realize this vision, the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative ensures that federal and local policy will coordinate to confront the problems facing high-poverty neighborhoods; high unemployment rates, rampant crime, health disparities, inadequate early care and education, and struggling schools contribute to intensify the effects of poverty.

We’re making sure our agencies are working together because we know that neighborhood revitalization can’t happen in silos. We’re taking the broad and integrated approach we know is needed to leverage our resources and increase economic growth and resident well-being in our communities. 

For more information on the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative see below:

• Full description of the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative
• Promise Neighborhood Awards Announcement

Melody Barnes is Director of Domestic Policy Council

This week, President Obama visited the University of Texas to discuss the relationship between his goals for America’s higher education system and the future of the American economy.  And today, the President took bold action, signing important legislation to provide urgent fiscal relief to school districts across the country to maintain our education system, and to enable 160,000 teachers to keep their jobs. 

Over the past several months, President Obama has been working with Congress to pursue this legislation that would make sure these thousands of teachers can return to their schools and classrooms in the coming months.  The legislation signed by the President today marks an investment in our economic prosperity and in our children’s future.  Without it, the loss of thousands of jobs by teachers and other education personnel would have rippled through the larger economy and undercut the nation’s recovery.

As Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has traveled across the nation to discuss our Administration’s education agenda and our work to deliver a complete and competitive education to all children, he has witnessed firsthand the looming cuts that school districts faced as a result of the current economy. 

For example, in Iowa, schools were weighing layoffs of 1,500 education personnel – half of them teachers. Ames, Iowa had planned to cut kindergarten from full-day to half-day – even though research shows that students benefit from extra instruction.  One school district in Washington state had plans to cut 10 percent of its teachers.  And the Board in Charlotte, North Carolina, voted on a budget that will result in approximately 500 teacher layoff notices.

Today’s bill brings needed relief to these and other communities across the nation.  In addition, because the legislation is fully paid for, in part by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas, we’ll be able to meet this charge in a manner that does not add to our deficit. 

We must place America’s children and the safety of our communities above partisan politics.   As the President noted earlier today, “a challenge that affects parents, children and citizens in almost every community in America should not be a Democratic problem or a Republican problem.  It is an American problem.” 

Today’s legislation responds directly to that problem.  It lets America’s parents, students, and teachers know that help is on the way.   And it delivers hope that they’ll begin a successful and productive year when they return to school this fall. 

Melody Barnes is the Director of the Domestic Policy Council

The concept is simple and the results are strong.  Research shows home visits can yield substantial improvements in school readiness, father involvement, and parent employment as well as reductions in child abuse, neglect, and dependence on public supports.  Home visits can actually reap Medicaid savings through fewer preterm births and emergency room use.  Independent non-partisan organizations estimate that every dollar spent on evidence-based home visitation yields between $3-6 of savings to federal, state, and local governments.

By building on models that have been developing  across the country, we’re working to support this crucial service and, at the same time, reaping long-term savings and rewards as children grow up in healthier environments.

For more information on Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting, go to: www.hrsa.gov

Melody Barnes is the President’s Domestic Policy Advisor and Director of the Domestic Policy Council 

I was pleased to deliver the opening remarks to frame the President’s and First Lady's vision and commitment to service as well as to meet with a broad cross-section of service leaders from the nonprofit, public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

As you well know, our nation faces a daunting set of challenges. But, from day one, the President has acted on the principle that “service is a solution” – that service is a critical tool as we address our national priorities.

That’s why one of the President’s top priorities in his first 100 days was to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. We worked with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress and with service and community leaders across the country to give the American people more opportunities to serve.

Afterall, the President and First Lady have always believed that the best ideas don’t come from Washington. They come from individuals and communities all across the country. From coast to coast, our neighbors are finding new and innovative ways to meet our country’s most pressing challenges. These community-led solutions are strengthening, reforming and supporting our schools; helping us bring quality, affordable health care to everyone; building a sustainable energy future; and ensuring economic recovery, economic opportunity and economic growth in every community in the country.

To support community solutions, the President tasked me with creating the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation as part of the Domestic Policy Council in the White House – to find the best ways to invest in and scale programs that work and find ways to help communities better solve their own problems. We know that we need to get the policies right, but we also know that Americans everywhere are already working to make a difference – and they deserve our support.

We have to come together – the public, private, nonprofit, academic, and philanthropic communities. We need to share best practices, share new ideas, and invest in what works. And we need to support a new generation of leaders who can build on the great progress we have made together.

To get involved in your own local community, please go to Serve.gov to find opportunities to volunteer. And to hear more about the discussions that took place at the National Conference please visit the conference’s website.

Melody Barnes is Director of the Domestic Policy Council

Ed Note: In case you missed it, check out Secretary Donovan’s post on HUD’s blog following yesterday’s release of the federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

Someone once told me -- in your head it's a dream, but on paper it's a plan.  As a nation, we’ve talked about addressing the issue of homelessness, and now we have a plan.  Over the last year, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), consisting of 19 federal agencies and chaired by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, drafted the nation’s first comprehensive strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

The impetus for such a plan was simple.  In the United States, no one should spend a single night without a place to call home.  Yet, 634,000 people, including 107,000 veterans, experience homelessness on any given night.  The families and individuals that experience homelessness and the advocates that work so hard on this issue know that we need to act with a renewed sense of urgency.

Yesterday, the lead Cabinet secretaries from USICH – Secretary Donovan, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki – joined USICH Director Barbara Poppe to unveil and submit Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness to the President and Congress. 

The plan sets ambitious but measurable goals: (1) end chronic homelessness in five years; (2) prevent and end homelessness among veterans in five years; (3) prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and children within a decade; and (4) put us on a path to ending all types of homelessness.

The plan builds on existing interagency partnerships and evidence-based models that are working at the local level.  It will focus the resources and efforts of federal agencies to offer a variety of comprehensive solutions.  For example, the partnership between HUD, HHS, and Education will provide homeless families with not only a home, but the wrap-around services they need to remain off the streets.

This is doable but it requires all of us to work together - Congress, federal agencies, state and local officials, faith-based and community organizations, and business and philanthropic leaders across our country.

We applaud the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness for their tireless efforts to put on paper what we know is possible.  Preventing and ending homelessness will positively impact the lives of individuals and families, veterans, children and youth, those who are chronically ill, those suffering from domestic violence, and those combating discrimination of all sorts.

We look forward to working with dedicated state and local leaders to open doors and opportunities for men, women, and children all across the country.

Melody Barnes is the Director of the Domestic Policy Council

As we continue to tackle our nation’s great challenges, we know that many of the best, most lasting solutions are already being developed in communities across the country.  Local answers to our national challenges originate everywhere.
 
The best solutions are often driven by everyday Americans who are having an impact but need capital to improve their results, grow, and replicate their solutions so that they can serve more communities.  Solutions like, for example, the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC).  LAYC has grown from a small grassroots recreation center to a nationally recognized organization serving low-income youth and families across the District of Columbia and in Maryland.   Every day LAYC works with vulnerable young people and their families to improve academic achievement and build stronger, healthier lives.    We know that government must partner with philanthropists and the private sector to support – not supplant – solutions like LAYC and others that are being developed in communities across the nation. 

One year ago, at the Time 100 Awards, the First Lady announced the creation of a new $50 million Social Innovation Fund (SIF), which is part of the President’s commitment to invest in results-oriented solutions around the country.  On June 30th, 2009, at an event at the White House, the President also called on our nation's foundations to partner with the Administration to invest in solutions that have the potential to grow and address the needs of more communities across the country.

Today, we highlighted the initial round of commitments from philanthropists to match the Social Innovation Fund and make other investments in innovative community solutions.  In addition, an independent coalition of more than 20 of the nation’s leading national and regional funders have created the “Scaling What Works” initiative, a complementary set of investments led by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) to extend the reach and impact of the Social Innovation Fund and similar efforts to help high-impact nonprofits succeed. The Council on Foundations also released a letter signed by more than 130 heads of community foundations from across the country that signaled their support for the Social Innovation Fund and the Administration’s agenda to investment in community solutions.
   
Today’s event shows how the government is doing business differently: finding solutions outside of Washington, DC; investing in innovations that can have a big impact and have the potential to grow; and partnering with the private, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors to address the toughest problems we face. 

These efforts are just the beginning of how we seek to turn community solutions into national solutions.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Patrick Corvington announce the initial phase of philanthropic commitments to match Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grants at an event in the South Court Auditorium of the White House, May 27, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Melody Barnes is Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council

At this year’s Teacher of the Year Awards, President Obama highlighted our Administration’s work to save over 400,000 jobs through the Recovery Act’s emergency aid.  

And it’s why, through our recovery efforts, we’ve provided emergency aid that saved the jobs of more than 400,000 teachers and other education jobs -– and why I believe these efforts must continue.  I believe these efforts must continue as states face severe budget shortfalls that put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.  We need and our children need our teachers in the classroom.  We need your passion and your patience, your skill and experience, your determination to reach every single child.

Now we need swift, bold action from Congress to respond to state and local budget cuts that are placing public education at risk and endangering teacher jobs.  Thanks to the leadership of Senator Harkin and Congressmen Miller and Obey, we have legislation to avert this crisis. Today, our Administration wrote to Congressional leaders indicating the President's support for this critical legislation, and urging Congress to include education jobs funding in the supplemental appropriations bills soon to be considered in the House and Senate.  See below for the Obama Administration’s letter to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid on this legislation.

May 13, 2010

Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515

Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC  20510

Dear Madam Speaker and Mr. Leader:

We are gravely concerned that ongoing state and local budget challenges are threatening hundreds of thousands of teacher jobs for the upcoming school year, with estimates ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 education jobs at risk.  Without swift action, millions of children will experience these budget cuts in one way or another through reductions in class time; cuts to  early childhood programs, extracurricular activities, and summer school; and reduced course offerings as teachers are laid off.  These budget cuts would also undermine the groundbreaking reform efforts underway in states and districts all across the country.   

At the very same time as schools face these challenges, budget cuts to police and fire departments threaten to undermine public safety and the emergency readiness of first-responders.  All of these budget cuts threaten to cause damage that ripples through the economy as a whole.  The layoffs create a new drag on the economy when – despite the recent encouraging jobs report – we still have a long way to go.  

We applaud Chairmen Harkin, Miller and Obey for crafting legislation in direct response to these challenges.  S. 3206, the Keep Our Educators Working Act, H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act,  and H.R. 4812, the Local Jobs for America Act, each call for $23 billion in emergency support to preserve education jobs modeled after the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  This funding would keep teachers in the classroom while helping to sustain meaningful and necessary reforms in public education across the country.

We urge Congress to include this funding in the supplemental appropriations bills soon to be considered.  We also urge Congress to include $2 billion in support to localities for police and firefighters to ensure that our communities remain safe, as well as $1 billion in funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant to preserve early childhood education jobs and ensure that our youngest children do not lose the supports and services critical to their learning and overall well-being.   

Thank you for your consideration of these views.  The Obama Administration looks forward to working with Congress to refine this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

Sincerely,

Arne Duncan
 

cc: Honorable Daniel K. Inouye
      Honorable Tom Harkin
      Honorable David Obey
      Honorable George Miller

Melody Barnes is Director of the Domestic Policy Council. 
 

The report reflects input from 12 federal agencies as well as the 2,500 submissions we got from parents, teachers, doctors, nurses and others. It includes 70 recommendations for public and private sector action, as well as concrete metrics and benchmarks to measure our progress towards our goal. Very broadly, the report makes recommendations in 5 key areas:

1. Getting children a healthy start on life, with good prenatal care for their parents; support for breastfeeding; limits on “screen time”; and quality child care settings with nutritious food and ample opportunity for young children to be physically active.
2. Empowering parents and caregivers with simpler, more actionable messages about nutritional choices based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans; improved labels on food and menus that provide clear information to help make healthy choices for children; reduced marketing of unhealthy products to children; and improved health care services, including BMI measurement for all children.
3. Providing healthy food in schools, through improvements in federally-supported school lunches and breakfasts; upgrading the nutritional quality of other foods sold in schools; and improving nutrition education and the overall school environment.
4. Improving access to healthy, affordable food, by eliminating “food deserts” in urban and rural America; lowering the relative prices of healthier foods; developing or reformulating food products to be healthier; and reducing the incidence of hunger, which has been linked to obesity.
5. Getting children more physically active, through quality physical education, recess, and other opportunities in and after school; addressing aspects of the “built environment” that make it difficult for children to walk or bike safely in their communities; and improving access to safe parks, playgrounds, and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities.

Many of our ideas can be implemented right away, at little or no cost. With the First Lady’s leadership and working in strong partnership with states, local communities, and the private sector, we look forward to moving without delay to get this plan into action. Let’s Move!