by David Safier
In the heady days of the presidential campaign, I had a thought that made my eyes mist over. I imagined President Obama delivering a short speech at the beginning of the school year urging students to do everything they can to make the most of their educations. I hoped for a dose of stirring rhetoric that would make students give that little bit of extra effort. Let me tell you as a teacher, getting the students wanting to work hard and succeed is more than half the battle.
It looks like Obama was paying attention (Right. Like he needs me to tell him what to do!)
Obama is appearing in a 30-minute documentary that will air at 8 p.m. Sept. 8 on BET, MTV, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Spike TV and Nickelodeon, all of them Viacom networks. Obama also plans to deliver a back-to-school speech to the nation's students on the same day.
In the program, the president says education is the key to people living out their dreams.
"So as this new school year begins, I urge you to set goals for your own education: to study hard and get involved in your school, to try new things and find something you're passionate about," Obama says, according to a release issued Wednesday.
"And that's how our nation will get ahead — by ensuring that every American gets a world-class education, from preschool to college to a career," Obama said.
The program marks the kickoff of an education initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom Inc. Called "Get Schooled," the five-year campaign is aimed at improving this country's dismal high school and college completion rates.
In the special, Obama, Clarkson and James all are shown alongside behind-the-scenes colleagues; Obama's is speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, who talks about her time in school and current job at the White House. Also featured are Clarkson's music director, Jason Halbert, and James' marketer, Latesha Williams.
Gates official Allan Golston, president of the foundation's U.S. Program, noted Obama has made education a top priority and that schools got unprecedented money from the economic stimulus law earlier this year.
"Education is the key to opportunity and economic progress, for our young people and our nation," Golston said.
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I believe in Government run School Systems just like I believe in The Government Run Post Office!