Gamma Pi Chapterof

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Project Enrich Opening Convocation

Can We Break the Sound BarrierEducation in America, Prince Georges County,

MDBowie State University

Sept. 24, 2011

What would you define as success?

Is Becoming Successful a Game of Luck or Preparation?

What Does a Good Education In America Buy You?

Professions Avg Incomes

1. Surgeons $ 219,770

2. Anesthesiologists 211,750

3. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 210,710

4. Orthodontists 206,190

5. Chief Executives 167,280

What Does a Good Education In America Buy You?

Professions Avg Incomes

6. Dentist $156,550

7. Lawyers 129,020

8. Engineering Manager 122,810

9. Pharmacists 106,630

10. Actuaries 97,450

What Keeps Students From Achieving Major Success?

•Bullying

•Learning disabilities

•Lack of role models

•Peer Pressure

•Lack of money

•Gangs

Why Are U.S. Schools Behind the Times?

•Not enough Math and Science in Curriculum

•The school day is too short

•Students have to spend more time studying

•The need for more highly educated teachers

•Today company’s like Google, Intel, Microsoft and others have to get talent from outside the U.S.

•Today, the national unemployment rate is 9%, 16-20% in the African American community. However, in the High Tech community, which doesn’t care what color you are as long as you can do the job, the unemployment rate is hovering around 0%.

Why Should Math and Science Be Your Priority?

•By the year 2020, 123,000,000 (one hundred twenty three million) American jobs will be High Skill-High Pay jobs, however at current course and speed, there will only be 50 million Americans trained to do these jobs.

Why Should Math and Science Be Your Priority?

•Since 1971 till today per student spending has gone from $4000 per student to $9000, some even argue the number is as high as $15,000 per student ( according to the CATO institute).

•However, in the U.S. as a whole, reading scores have flatlined and math is no better.

What are we doing wrong?

Who’s to Blame?

Enter: No Child Left Behind

• The vision of this joint political effort was supposed to be an answer to the problem that American students have been steadily falling behind the rest of the industrialized world in education, in particular, reading, math, science and engineering.

• This initiative kicked of in 2000 and the goal was that by the year 2010 all U.S. students would be 100% proficient in reading, math and science.

Percent (%) 8th graders proficient in math 2009

Alabama 18

Mississippi 14

New Jersey 40

New York 30

Connecticut 35

Arizona 26

California 24

Washington, DC 12

Did it Work?

National Graduation Rates

•Until the 1970’s, U.S. schools were the best in the world.

•Today we are lagging behind most developed countries, especially in reading, math and science.

How Are Our Maryland Graduates Doing?

•According to the State Department of Education, Maryland’s graduation rate was 86.6% for 2010.

•Concern - The University of Maryland is designed to accept the top 1/3 of the graduating students from schools in the state, however most freshmen will have to take remedial classes before they can even get into regular college credit courses.

•Our goal is assist you so that you don’t have to take remedial classes your freshmen year.

•According to the State Department of Education, Prince Georges County graduation rates are among the highest in the country, 84% for 2010!

•Concern - What % of Prince Georges County graduates will have to take remedial classes their freshmen year in college?

Prince Georges County Graduation Rates

•According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Annual statistical report 2007, 2008, 68% of inmates in Pennsylvania are H.S. Dropouts.

•75% of the recidivist inmates have no high school diploma or GED. If we can at least get our students a good primary education, we can significantly drop the incarceration rate.

Why Is a Good Education Important?

Why Is a Good Education Important?

Cost to Incarcerate Cost of Avg Private

School Education

33,000 per yr/inmate $8300 per yr/student

x 4 yrs avg stay x 13 yr (k-12th grade)

$132,000 $107,900

($24,100 remaining for college)

I want to Empower you

•Life can be wonderful with a great education and a good attitude.

•Run to the Good Teachers

•I believe you all are great students, that’s why you are all here today!

Moving Forward

•What do you see yourself doing after high school? College? What Profession or Job?

•What or Who do you believe has influenced your expectations of the future?

Parents? Friends? Teachers? Other?

In Conclusion

• Your vision, like that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barrack Obama, will determine how you change the future.

• Action like that take by General Chuck Yeager on October 14, 1947 when he broke the sound barrier. Until that day many felt that the sound barrier could never be broken, even men in the science community believed that an airplane would break apart when they approached the speed of sound (761 miles per hr), glass would shatter and metal would shred. This thinking kept science from moving forward. Now it seems so simple to everyone, especially since in 1952 he travelled at 1650 miles per hr, more than twice the speed of sound!

•Mr. Damon D. Moats, M.P.A

•Associate Real Estate Broker

•Entrepreneur

•Life Coach

•Motivator

•Educator

•Thanks to the creators of the movie “Waiting for Superman” for providing the inspiration for this presentation.