奥巴马总统就美国儿童学前教育问题发表演讲_演讲

奥巴马总统就美国儿童学前教育问题发表演讲

So before you know it, these kids are going to be moving on to bigger and better things in kindergarten, and they're going to be better prepared to succeed. And what's more, I don't think you'll find a working parent in America who wouldn't appreciate the peace of mind that their child is in a safe, high-quality learning environment every single day. (Applause.)

Michelle and I remember how tough it can be to find good childcare. I remember how expensive it can be, too. The size of your paycheck, though, shouldn't determine your child's future. (Applause.) So let's fix this. Let's make sure none of our kids start out the race of life already a step behind. Let's make it a national priority to give every child access to a high-quality early education. Let's give our kids that chance.

Now, I do have to warn the parents who are here who still have young kids -- they grow up to be, like, 5'10" -- (laughter) -- and even if they're still nice to you, they basically don't have a lot of time for you during the weekends. (Laughter.) They have sleepovers and -- dates. (Laughter.) So all that early investment -- (laughter) -- just leads them to go away. (Laughter.)

Now, what I also said on Tuesday night is that our commitment to our kids' education has to continue throughout their academic lives. So from the time our kids start grade school, we need to equip them with the skills they need to compete in a high-tech economy. That's why we're working to recruit and train 100,000 new teachers in the fields of the future -- in science and technology, and engineering and math where we are most likely to fall behind.