GMMB Analyzes Education in the State of the Union 2014
January 30, 2014
President Obama began his State of the Union address talking about the amazing work of a teacher who “spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America’s graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades.” Research shows that a strong, well-supported teacher is one of the most critical factors in improving student achievement. At GMMB, we work with a range of committed clients to support teachers on all manners of education reforms so that every child will have the opportunity to achieve.
We agree with the president that “success should not depend on the accident of our birth.” All children have minds yearning to explore, to dream, to learn. GMMB clients include the University of Chicago Professor and Nobel Laureate James Heckman, whose economic research—cited by President Obama in the State of the Union—found that every $1 invested in early learning saves more than $7 in public money later on. Also resonating with our clients were the president’s calls for better student assessments, getting more students to college degrees, and redesigning high schools to offer real-world learning and strong academics that lead to college and careers.
GMMB also analyzed the social media conversation. What did we find? Education was among the most-discussed topics online during the State of the Union address, but it did not dominate the online conversations like last year.
Click here to find our analysis on education and the State of the Union. We hope you find it helpful.