We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which swept away the doctrine of "separate but equal" public schools for black and white students. Brown gave equal access to school buildings, but many students today still suffer inequality in the education they receive. Some students are taught well, while the rest -- mostly African American, Hispanic, special-needs, limited English proficient, and low-income students -- fall behind or drop out. Those who struggle are passed from grade to grade, but often do not get the help they need to catch up to their peers.

The statistics are startling. By the time they reach 12th grade, only one in six African Americans and one in five Hispanics can read at grade level. Only 3 percent of African Americans and 4 percent of Hispanics are testing at the proficient level in mathematics. The achievement gap between black and white students who are reading at or above the proficient level is 28 percentage points in the fourth grade.

Those are the results from the education system of the most advanced nation in the world. This educational divide reflects what I refer to as the soft bigotry of low expectations. Adults stop believing in the potential of these students. Many excuses have been offered, but the result is still the same -- students are denied the education they deserve. This is unacceptable.

Our government must speak for those children who have been unheard and overlooked. We must work to close the achievement gap, so that all children are equipped with the skills they need to succeed. Under NCLB, every child in this country is being held to high standards, and every school is being held accountable for results. I will continue to invest in research-backed education reforms that raise student achievement in the classroom.

We are already seeing hopeful results. Fourth graders in urban schools are showing strong gains in both reading and math. Moreover, from Georgia, North Carolina, and Maryland, to Illinois, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, minority children are showing improved test scores and they are narrowing the achievement gap. We can close the achievement gap. We can fulfill the promise of public education.

The debate about education reform is about our nation's future. It is about jobs, opportunities, economic and national security, and the prosperity of our families. It is also about personal growth, intellectual development, and the joy of learning. A caring, compassionate nation must not leave even one child behind.

Education is the key to opportunity, essential to a strong America. The shameful truth is that too often the quality of a child's education depends on the wealth of that child's neighborhood. Our best public schools are the best schools in the world, but too many children go to schools that just don't work. Too many children who beat the odds and succeed in school can't afford to go to college. Too many adults who need added training are not able to get it.

If we're going to give all of our children the education they deserve, we have to be willing to make tough choices. While extending and expanding tax cuts for the middle class, I will roll back the Bush tax cuts for those making more than $200,000. We just can't afford to keep those tax cuts and make our schools work like they should. With those savings, I will fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act -- so our children have smaller classes, more textbooks, and more after-school opportunities. We will also fund our other education priorities -- like getting on the path to full funding for special education and making college affordable for all young people through a generous new tax credit.

We can't turn our backs on schools that are struggling and failing, in the same spirit that our teachers don't turn their backs on struggling kids. Through a new Great Strides Fund, my plan will make states eligible for a share of $5 billion to turn around schools not progressing properly. States will use those resources to implement proven methods for improving schools, like sending in teams of educators who have succeeded in this work elsewhere. And when a school does lift itself up, we'll reward that school for a job well done.

We need an intensive effort to put a great teacher in every classroom, particularly in our poorest schools. Teacher pay is too low in most schools, but the problem is even worse in our underserved areas. Under my plan, pay incentives will help to bring our best teachers to schools that need them the most. We'll help states offer at least a $5,000 raise to teachers in high-need schools, and at least a $5,000 annual bonus to teachers who fill shortages in subjects such as math and science.