Message from PEN's President, Wendy Puriefoy

Reflections on the Inauguration of President Barack Obama
The inauguration of President Barack Obama was a singular and remarkable interval in the history of the United States of America. I feel privileged to have been able to bear witness to the solemn occasion on behalf of so many of my teachers, ancestors, and friends. I am humbled by the unsung generations of our forebears who toiled, sacrificed and dedicated their lives to what President Obama affirmed as our "...enduring national spirit ... the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

Of the many challenges and opportunities that President Obama highlighted in his historic and inspiring inaugural speech, the summons to a national "unity of purpose" resonates deeply within me as an advocate for high-quality public education. America's public education system remains the intersection where the promises of equality and freedom must be ultimately tested and proved. In a time when leaders and judges have legislated and ruled away the important endeavor to secure for all their full measure of equality, we are powerfully reminded of a greater and enduring national aspiration.

At Public Education Network, we believe that access to a high-quality public education is a civil right. Securing this right for all children demands of our nation and each citizen an inviolable resolve to directly address the educational disparities and inequities that we have too long suffered and tolerated -- which are an ongoing, yet preventable, national tragedy.

Only a democratically informed process of school improvement will deliver the desired results of improved academic achievement, provision of necessary resources, and the creation of safe and healthy learning environments which our nation must hold itself accountable to secure for all children.

President John Adams once noted that education "must become the national care and expense for the formation of the many." Public schools help us transmit the values and knowledge children will need to become well educated, contributing members of our democracy. Ultimately, it is everyone's responsibility to make sure all children receive a quality education -- by voting for candidates who support quality public schools and then holding elected officials accountable for their commitments and choices; by paying taxes and ensuring that tax dollars are used to help all children succeed; and by becoming informed on issues that influence the academic success of all students.

Public Education Network and local education funds (LEFs) call upon President Obama and his administration to continue and extend their unprecedented mobilization of diverse stakeholders. PEN is redoubling our efforts to raise public awareness, and educate policymakers and lawmakers to more actively advocate for effective political and civil actions that will impact and benefit every segment of society.

Working together, we move closer to the day when every child in America, and around the globe, benefits from a high-quality public education.

With gratitude and hope,

Wendy D. Puriefoy
President, Public Education Network