Kalamazoo high school wins contest to have Obama speak

 

President Barack Obama will speak at Kalamazoo Central High School's senior graduation next month, the White House announced Tuesday.

The school was the president's final pick in the national Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. Earlier this year, the White House put out a call for high schools around the country to pitch why innovations in the classroom were worthy of a presidential perusal.

Obama will speak June 10, the Kalamazoo Public Schools said.

"We are delighted to welcome President Obama to Kalamazoo," Superintendent Michael F. Rice said in a statement. "This honor validates the efforts and success not simply of a school or even of a school district but of an entire broader educational community."

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Kalamazoo Central as the winner.

"I look forward to visiting and speaking at Kalamazoo Central High School later this spring," Obama said in a statement from Washington.

Read the full Detroit News article…

View video of the White House announcement, including the student video prepared for the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge …

The Detroit News, 5.4.10