Cory Booker's Inspiring Speech from STC's 2010 Forum

Schools That Can had the pleasure to welcome Newark's Mayor Cory Booker to deliver an inspiring speech about America and our educational system in person last May at our Forum in Newark. During his talk, he discussed the failure of the American education system and the urgent need for the country's citizens to work together to fix it. After recalling a story in which he was told, "you can always go three inches further," Booker challenged the citizens of America to push for transformative change, and encouraged the education sector to build on the successes of high performing schools by creating more. As Booker pointed out, schools can create radical transformation in children's lives -- but only those children who are lucky enough to get into one of the "good" schools. Those entering underperforming schools are often more likely to go into prison that to secure full time jobs. New Jersey alone spends billions of dollars each year as a result of the failed education system; indeed, consulting firm McKinsey conducted a study that declared that the country's GDP would grow by trillions of dollars if it were able to increase graduation rates.