Rigor, Rewards, Quality

Last week President Obama gave his first major speech on public education to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Here is the major message of his speech:

"Despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us. The relative decline of American education is untenable for our economy, unsustainable for our democracy, and unacceptable for our children. We cannot afford to let it continue. What is at stake is nothing less than the American dream."

What are we waiting for?
What is more important than protecting our economy, our democracy, and our children?