Budget 2010: New Investments in Transforming America’s Schools and Workforce

In speaking about how to resolve the economic woes facing the nation, President Obama has consistently cited three investment priorities as essential for achieving long-run, sustainable economic growth: clean energy, health care, and education. With respect to the latter, the Metro Program has argued in its Blueprint for American Prosperity initiative that improving the education and skills of American workers would contribute greatly to more robust and widely-shared economic prosperity.

Overall, the President’s 2010 budget envisions a strengthened federal commitment to improving education and enhancing worker skills. Many of the strategies the administration proposes to pursue in this arena could have meaningful impacts in urban and metropolitan communities, though much will depend on how legislation evolves and programs are implemented. Nevertheless, these ideas represent a significant step toward a national economic strategy that invests strategically in human capital to improve our collective prosperity.

(http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/0515_obama_budget_berube. aspx/15.05.2009. Adaptado)