Obama: No excuses can be accepted in education

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — President Barack Obama says students graduating from a high school in a tough South Memphis neighborhood prove that no excuses should be accepted when it comes to education.

Obama is speaking at the commencement ceremony at Booker T. Washington High School, winner of this year’s White House Race to the Top commencement challenge. The school saw its graduation rate drastically improve within three years after implementing education reforms and adding variety to its curriculum.

Obama said the school has been a leader in showing that education reform can’t just be led by Washington; he says it depends on teachers, principals, and entire communities demanding a better future for their children. And he says the students at Booker T. Washington will appreciate their accomplishments more because they have earned them.