Remarks at Chicago Public Schools Press Conference on College Bound Students
President Charles Middleton

Presented at Jones College Prep High School
April 24, 2007

Good afternoon Schools CEO Arne Duncan, Board President Rufus Williams, Jones College Prep Principal Don Fraynd, Ariel Mutual Fund President Mellody Hobson, teachers and students. I am delighted to hear the encouraging news about graduation and success coming from the Chicago Public Schools. My congratulations to Arne Duncan, the principals, the teachers, and most importantly the students. And thank you to the families of the students for supporting them. It is extremely good to know that the number of CPS graduates enrolling in college has been climbing steadily over the last three years, especially among black and Latino males. This validates your hard work and early planning for college. Roosevelt University has been a long-time educational partner with CPS. Since 1945, thousands of graduates of Roosevelt’s College of Education have become teachers, principals, administrators and counselors in CPS grade schools and high schools. Roosevelt also has a number of on-going partnership programs with CPS that provide opportunities and assistance for students who want to earn a college degree. For example,

• We have established a unique scholarship program with Social Justice High School. All qualified students in the classes of 2009 and 2010 can receive a four-year scholarship to attend Roosevelt.

• Through the GEAR UP Program, Roosevelt partners with Hope High School and Hyde Park Academy to help students and their parents prepare for college.

• Roosevelt’s Scholars Teach and Reach Program provides scholarships for talented minority students who want to become teachers.

• Through Educational Talent Search, a Federal TRIO Program, Roosevelt offers group or individual advising to help students improve their self esteem and chart a path toward continued education.

All of us in higher education in Chicago are pleased to learn about the exciting CPS news not only because we want to have more students who are prepared for college, but more importantly, because it is great for the City.

As Mayor Daley and CEO Duncan have been saying for years, Chicago needs an educated workforce if it is to compete successfully in the global economy.

While Chicago prepares for the Olympics, it’s important to remember that students graduating from CPS in the next few years will be the professionals who will welcome visitors to Chicago from all over the world in 2016.

A college degree is not only valuable to an individual student, but also to his or her family and community. Everyone benefits from the improved quality of life provided by college graduates.

In fact, studies show that individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $2.1 million more, or nearly twice the wages over the course of a lifetime, than workers who have only a high school diploma.

One way to continue on this upward trend is for students to take both days of the PSAE tests, which will be administered at the high schools on April 25-26. The ACT and ACT WorkKeys are good indicators of what skills students have and where they need to improve.

Preparing students to be ready for college is an issue on the agenda of every public school system in the country. I am delighted to see the considerable progress Chicago is making on this extremely important issue. Chicago is poised to be a national leader, and that is something we can all be proud of.

Thank you and congratulations again.