U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer calls for a Marshall Plan for education

By Linda Myers

We need a plan to overhaul our educational system that's as effective as the Marshall Plan, said New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer. "Our major public investment must be to make our schools from K through college better," he declared during his Senior Convocation address, delivered May 27 in Barton Hall as part of Cornell's Commencement weekend. He was introduced by President Hunter Rawlings.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer delivers the Senior Convocation address May 27 in Barton Hall. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography

Referring to the plan credited with restoring Europe's tattered economy following World War II, Schumer asserted, "We must embark on a Marshall Plan to make our schools the best in the world."

His proposal called for attracting "top-quality young people" to elementary and secondary school teaching; offering scholarships to help defray the cost of teacher education; forgiving student loan indebtedness for any K-12 teacher with at least five years teaching time in the classroom; and using federal funds to boost teachers' salaries without raising local property taxes.

He also demanded higher standards in U.S. schools, wiring every classroom to the Internet and training teachers in how to use computers as teaching tools.

His proposal to make college tuition fully tax deductible drew loud applause from the audience of about 4,500, most of them graduating students and their families.

"It is nearly impossible to succeed without a degree," said Schumer. "And it is simply wrong that parents have to pour their life savings into college costs and students have to go deep into debt to get the right kind of education."

Schumer also offered a tale from his own life to support his advice to: "Take the risk. Don't let fear of failure deter you." As a graduating senior at Harvard, he turned down a scholarship that would have taken him around the world for a year and instead stayed home to be near a young woman with whom he had fallen in love. She broke up with him soon after, and he found himself with, he said, "no scholarship, no trip around the world, no girl."

"Somehow I got over it," Schumer said. He went on to Harvard Law School, was the Democratic Party's candidate for a New York State Assembly seat and won the election at age 23, despite the fact that his mother, who hoped he would practice law, not politics, he said jokingly, told all her friends not to vote for him. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives six years later, representing the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn for nine terms. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.

Looking sartorially sharp as well as senatorial in a navy pin-striped suit, Schumer told reporters in an interview before the convocation that he had advised Hillary Clinton, now running for Daniel Patrick Moynihan's vacated Senate seat from New York: "Don't pay attention to the other candidate. Talk to the average family about making people's lives better." He also expressed concern that upstate New York would be ill-served by an impending merger between United Airlines and USAirways and said he had approached Delta and Continental Airlines about entering the Southern Tier airline market.

From left, senior Rebekah Gordon, Class of 2000 gift chair, announces the record-breaking senior class gift of $177,171.67, while, from left, Elizabeth Stein, alumni class president, Julie Dittmer, senior class president, and Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services, hold a representation of the gift check during Senior Convocation ceremonies May 27 in Barton Hall. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography

Convocation chairperson Kevin-William Hughes '00 acted as master of ceremonies during the convocation and delivered the welcoming remarks. Senior class president Julie Dittmer summarized the highlights of four years for the Class of 2000, citing Hillary Clinton's visit, Bob Dylan's concert, the completion of a new ILR building and renovated Sage Hall and the pumpkin on top of McGraw Tower. Alumni class president Elizabeth Stein presented the list of class officers and urged graduates to stay involved. And Rebekah Gordon '00 presented Cornell Vice President Susan Murphy with a giant check that represented a record-breaking senior class gift of $177,171.67, including challenge funds of $50,000 from Jeffrey Parker '65. Gordon noted that the Class of 2000 also had made good on its goal of "2000 in 2000," breaking participation records. To date, 2,035 seniors, or 60.05 percent of the class, have pledged or made a gift, she said (the previous record, set by the Class of 1999, was 53 percent). The gift will support a scholarship for a deserving senior.

The Hangovers performed a mini-concert that featured Motown golden oldie "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" as well as the Cornell Evening Song and the alma mater.

And Murphy delivered the closing remarks, praising the Class of 2000 for its generosity, accomplishments and commitment to community service.

"Ithaca and Tompkins County are better places because of the hours you have devoted to the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Southside Community Center and Esperanza," she said. "In the years to come we will really celebrate your victory as you help a senior each year afford Cornell."