To Restore Economic Health, Congress Must Put Children First

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When the 111th Congress convenes in January, it will be faced with the most challenging agenda in recent history. Members of Congress will confront record budget deficits, pressing domestic and international issues, and follow-up to the financial rescue and stimulus packages. These challenges have shaken our country to its core and caused our leaders to sail into uncharted territory.

Congress’ first priority will be revitalizing the economy. That’s as it should be. The signs are unambiguous that our nation is in recession, just as our national debt is now well over $10 trillion and the current fiscal year threatens to add as much as $1 trillion more in red ink. But revitalizing our economy requires making sound investments. And our children are the most sound investment of all.

We don’t hear much about America’s children in our national economic debate. But they are intricately connected to the dire economic consequences we face as a nation — and their well-being must be a critical part of the solution.

Today in America there are more than 13 million children living in poverty and 8 million without health insurance. We have the second highest infant mortality rate among industrialized nations. And for the first time in history, a majority of voting Americans believes the next generation will fare worse than their parents. These are terrifying statistics for a country looking to regain its leading position in the global economy.

Nowhere is the failure to invest in our children more evident than in our nation’s dismal high school graduation rate. In the time it takes to read this, several more U.S. teenagers will drop out of high school. A staggering 1.2 million students drop out each year — that’s 7,000 per school day, and one every 26 seconds. For young people of color, the statistics are even more startling. Only about 58 percent of Hispanic students and 55 percent of African-American students will graduate on time with a regular diploma, according to EPE Research Center (2008).

Many say these figures represent a dropout crisis. But when we consider the impact they have on our young people, our families, our communities and our country, it becomes clear that we face more than a crisis. We have a catastrophe.

Students who drop out are more likely to be incarcerated, to rely on public programs and social services and to go without health insurance than their fellow students who graduate. This issue affects us all, and we pay an enormous price tag. According to Alliance for Excellent Education, if the students who dropped out of the class of 2008 had graduated, the nation’s economy would have benefited from an additional $319 billion in income over their lifetimes. Losing more than 1 million students each year weakens our long-term ability to compete in the global marketplace.

When our children are not prepared for success, we are not only failing them, but also our nation. An educated work force is the foundation of a strong and vibrant economy. And without skilled workers, our military, national security infrastructure, and intelligence systems are in jeopardy.

The need for a skilled and educated work force is even more pronounced as we face a massive demographic shift. The first of the baby boomers have already retired, and another 77 million will soon follow. Our economic future will require that we rely on today’s younger generations for human capital. Yet, of the 40 percent of today’s high school graduates who start college, nearly 3 in 10 are immediately placed into a remedial reading, writing or math course because they did not arrive college-ready.