“The party founded on the values of self reliance and national unity… those are values we all share… and while the Democratic party claims those values tonight, we do so with a measure of humility…” President-elect Barack Obama

The Center for Education Reform (CER) salutes the President-elect, Barack Obama, whose victorious grassroots and media effort to win election is one that all of us involved in education reform should consider in any effort we undertake from this day forward. Door to door, store to bus-stop, Wall Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, the Obama campaign is a reminder that to get the attention of the people and secure their support, we must do more than send out a few missives by email, or even wait for solutions to come our way.

CER is devoted to creating opportunities and challenging obstacles for better education for all children. We will work with our new president – and all the policymakers across the country – to push and pull the issues that are most important to children, and secure excellence and the highest expectations for our teachers, staff, schools and parents.

But we will not stop – no matter what the political persuasion of any of our leaders - to insist on full equity and excellence for every child, not just those of our financially and politically endowed leaders.

We salute our current President, George W. Bush, for bringing such opportunities to children in Washington, D.C., and for using his bully pulpit to reward and encourage states all over the country to push for the best policies of children, no matter what the response of special interests.

We congratulate and salute Senator John McCain, whose valiant fight for the presidency – at a much later age in life and with fewer resources – is a lesson for us all who might tire at the very suggestion that we do more for our country, our families and for our communities.

We are blessed by God to be Americans. We must act as Americans in unity and in preservation of the rights upon which this nation was created and secured – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Education is the gateway to all of these.

God Bless America.