Demand Better Education

Whereas students learn in school many of the skills and knowledge sets that will allow them to grow and mature into the future leaders of America,
Whereas students spend more and more time in school each year, learning valuable lessons inside the classroom and participating in constructive extra-curricular activities outside the classroom,
Whereas the quality of our schools will have a direct and profound impact on the growth, prosperity, and quality of our nation for years to come,
And Whereas students experience first hand the reforms implemented in schools nationwide, gathering valuable insights on some policies that are effective and some that are not

We, the undersigned, in an effort to improve the quality of education in America, urge policy makers everywhereat all levels of governmentto take the following steps:

-Make education a national priority commensurate with its supreme national importance, affirmed through a significantly greater commitment of financial and human resources,

-Recognize the importance of real feedback from students, not just isolated standardized test scores that often fail to convey the true nature of the problems facing our schools,

-Consider the student voicetheir experiences, views, and observations as the consumers of the education goodand work with students to set education policy and implement school reforms.


We believe that an investment in education is an investment in the future of this nation. And while some schools today do effectively prepare students for future success, largely as a result of the incredible contributions of great classroom teachers, not a single school, not a single student, and not a single citizenpolicy maker or otherwisecan afford complacency. Every school can and must do better.

As students and concerned citizens, we demand greater national attention and a greater national commitment to education. We demand that students be involved in discussions about, and in the processes of, school reform, both locally and nationally. We demand better schools, and we demand them now.