Typed draft of a speech with 14 words in Obama’s hand, 8.5 x 11, eight pages, dated Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 22, 2007. Entitled “Remarks for Senator Barack Obama, A New Profession: Teachers in the 21st Century,” with Obama labeling the top sheet, “Latest draft.” There are 14 words in Obama’s hand including two in red ink. They are capitalized in this description. In part, “It is an honor to be here at Temple University. Today, many of you are enrolled and on the path to be teachers. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to this honorable and often heroic profession…This morning the school bell rang in three different schools about an hour’s drive from here. In a small town called Quarryville, the students at Quarryville Elementary School are packed in classrooms with nearly thirty students to a room. We know that crowded classrooms are not the best learning environments for young minds…” Obama has noted next to this paragraph in pencil, “MORE DETAIL.” “But the truth is that we are all bound together and when one suffers; we all suffer. And for too long, millions of American children have been asked to settle for schools that are less than they need and deserve because of where they live; the color of their skin, and how much their parents earn…Our success in the new global economy will depend, in large measure, on our ability to create the best-educated work force in the world…And today, a child in Philadelphia is not only competing for jobs with one in Boston, but thousands more in Bangalore. America is engaged in this competitive battle, but it is not using one of its greatest resources, the diversity of our nation. Right now only 9% of African American 8th graders are able to do math at the 8th grade level and only 14% of Latino 4th graders are reading at grade level. Only 9% of low-income students will graduate from college. We are not readying all of our kids for the competition. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized country. We are failing too many of our students. We’re sending them out into a 21st century economy by sending them through 20th 19TH? century schools. This new economic reality threatens our standing in the world.” After this line, Obama writes “CIVIC: ACTIVE, INQUIRING CITIZENS.” “And that is why we need to move beyond our old battles and tired arguments, and join together to build on the good work that has already been done….” In fine condition, with punch holes to left edge, and small area of paper loss to upper left. As expected, annotated speeches like this are quite scarce; this is one of a very small handful we’ve encountered. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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