STATEMENT BY REVEREND AL SHARPTON ON HIS MEETING TODAY WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN

STATEMENT BY REVEREND AL SHARPTON ON HIS MEETING TODAY WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN

“I felt it very noteworthy that the President of the United States would agree to meet on an issue of such great importance as the race and economic gap in public education. We had asked for such a meeting after the White House sent Vice President Biden to address our National Action Network (NAN) convention on April 3rd. The President wanted people that don’t agree on specific issues but agree that there must be an open fight to close the race and economic gap to participate in the meeting. Also present was former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who spoke at NAN’s national convention and supports vouchers while I do not. Mayor Michael Bloomberg supports mayoral control without any revisions and is running for re-election, and I support neither. In fact, I talked with his opponent New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson who encouraged me not to worry about politics but to worry about our children. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was the fourth invitee but couldn’t come because of intense labor negotiations. We have now all agreed to work with a larger working body with Secretary Arne Duncan on how we can concretely address the problems of unequal funding, performance of teachers, pay for teachers, and other issues that will tangibly change the existing gap in education. We at National Action Network will continue to mobilize for the anniversary rally commemorating Brown v. Board of Education on Saturday, May 16th at the White House Ellipse--the “Close the Gap Rally.”

Rev. Al Sharpton (R) walks with Education Secretary Arne Duncan (L) after attending a meeting about education reforms with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington May 7, 2009. Behind is former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who also attended the meeting.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque