Arthur M. Blank - Remarks for PAGE event

September 16, 2010

THANK YOU, DR. MAGILL.  AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE DEDICATED EDUCATORS HERE WITH US TONIGHT.  YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CHILDREN REPRESENTS THE GREATEST PROMISE FOR OUR COUNTRY’S FUTURE.

STEPHANIE AND I ARE HONORED TO BE HERE TO CELEBRATE TEACHERS AND THE LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE.  THROUGH THE WORK OF OUR FAMILY FOUNDATION, WE HAVE BECOME CONVINCED THAT TEACHER QUALITY … HIGH EXPECTATIONS … AND ACCOUNTABILITY … ARE CRITICAL TO MAKING OUR SCHOOLS WORK FOR ALL STUDENTS.

I’M BETTING THAT EACH OF US IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT HAS BEEN INSPIRED BY A GREAT TEACHER -- THAT CLASSROOM LEADER WHO PROPELLED US TO DO THINGS WE DIDN’T THINK WE COULD DO.  THAT PERSON WHO MADE US LOVE A SUBJECT WE THOUGHT WE HAD NO INTEREST IN.  INDIVIDUALS LIKE CLINT PETERSEN  AND  -------- BLACKBURN WHOM STEPHANIE AND I HONOR TONIGHT. ALL THESE YEARS LATER WE REMEMBER THEM BECAUSE THEY MADE US THINK, MADE US DREAM, MADE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES.

OUR FOUNDATION IS PERSUADED BY THE GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING THAT TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS IS THE GAME CHANGER BETWEEN STUDENT SUCCESS AND STUDENT FAILURE.  ASSIGNING STRONG TEACHERS TO THE CHILDREN WHO NEED THEM MOST HAS PROVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY OTHER SCHOOL REFORM INITIATIVE.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY BY THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, STUDENTS ASSIGNED TO THE MOST EFFECTIVE TEACHERS OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD WILL OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS ASSIGNED TO THE LEAST EFFECTIVE TEACHERS BY 50 OR MORE PERCENTAGE POINTS.

THAT MEANS ASSIGNMENT TO A HIGH-PERFORMING TEACHER INSTEAD OF A LOW-PERFORMING TEACHER FOR FOUR YEARS IN A ROW COULD ALONE BE ENOUGH TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE STUDENTS.  AND YET WE KNOW THAT NATIONALLY, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR ARE LESS LIKELY THAN OTHERS TO BE TAUGHT BY STRONG TEACHERS.

WE APPLAUD THE EFFORTS IN OUR STATE TO REWARD TEACHERS BASED ON THE SUCCESS OF THEIR STUDENTS.  AS IN ANY BUSINESS, WE MUST HOLD EDUCATORS ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESULTS.  AND WE ALL KNOW, THERE IS NOT ANOTHER BUSINESS WHERE THE RESULTS ARE AS CRUCIAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO THE PROGRESS OF OUR COUNTRY AS YOURS. 

AS WE CREATE A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, WE NEED TO INSIST THAT IT IS BASED ON A SOLID FOUNDATION OF GOOD JUDGEMENT AND INTEGRITY.  WE NEED TO PUT THE CHILDREN FIRST AT EVERY TURN, INSISTING THAT DECISIONS ARE MADE NOT TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF ADULTS BUT TO GIVE EVERY CHILD THE TOOLS HE NEEDS TO SUCCEED. THAT’S THE PROMISE OF EDUCATION.  THAT’S THE PROMISE OF AMERICA.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS TRIBUTE TO MY WIFE AND ME.