Obama: Education equality “the civil rights issue of our time”

President Obama vowed to work to eliminate achievement gaps in education at a gathering yesterday. Obama spoke to a friendly crowd at the 20th anniversary of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, saying “Too many of our kids are dropping out of schools. That’s not a white, black, or brown problem. That’s everybody’s problem.”

Only one-third of American fourth-graders read at a proficient level, and the results are often even worse for non-white students. Our education report “Are All America’s Children Really Above Average?” underscored both underachievement in our education system and the persistent racial gaps that need closing. Befriend us on Facebook to get timely updates!