Today Michelle Obama visited a Communities In Schools after-school reading program in Washington D.C. The visit was a huge surprise for 30 wide-eyed third-graders who read stories and asked questions of the first lady who told them they can help the president by working hard and never quitting.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjpj-qpdL8Q&hl=en&fs=1&]
“When something gets hard, because it will be – there will be plenty of things that will be hard for you all; there are things that are hard for me,” said the first lady, “Will you promise me that you will not quit?”
Alison Hertz, the CIS school-based coordinator, gave Mrs. Obama a tour of the program and discussed how early intervention can have profound effects on a child’s willingness to engage, and can set an attitude that carries well into middle and high school.
Before the visit, the first lady met with the national CIS board of directors who discussed the need for more coordination and integration of support services into our schools – that schools alone are not equipped to teach students who are not prepared to learn.
President and Mrs. Obama have voiced strong support for community engagement and improvements in both the quality of public education and the nation’s dropout rate – nearly 33 percent. In communities like Anacostia, where the schools is located, the dropout rate can be as high as 50 percent.
May this be the first of many Obama administration visits to Communities In Schools. In the current no-nonsense political environment our equally no-nonsense approach – getting kids what they need, when they need it – has tremendous opportunity to effect real and lasting change.
Visit the Communities In Schools website at https://ciswa.org.
