Shakira To Join Obama Administration In Education Post

Shakira may be known for her hip-shaking tunes, but the singer's activism in education reform has led her to a position with the Obama Administration.

The White House announced Tuesday that President Obama intends to appoint the Colombian singer, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, along with three others.

“I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country," Obama said. "I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead."

The Grammy-winning artist founded the Barefoot Foundation in 1995, which helps fund schools in her native Colombia, as well as in South Africa and Haiti. She is also a founding member of Latin America in Solidarity Action and became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in 2003.

Shakira said to The Huffington Post:

This is a tremendous honor for me. I am humbled that my philanthropic experience could be helpful or that my voice can be used to amplify the message and work of the President and this Commission. Latino youth are the fastest-growing group in America, yet more Latino children are living in poverty---- 6.1 million in 2010 ---- than children of any other racial or ethnic group. As I have seen in my own Foundation work, the only road out of poverty is education. For a host of reasons, Latino young people in this country disproportionately drop out of school and far too few finish college. Closing this gap will not only determine the economic future and competitiveness of this nation, but can serve as a model for the world. I am grateful to have an opportunity to support such important work.

A longtime Obama supporter, Shakira endorsed him during the 2008 election and performed at Obama's inauguration. Additionally, she met with both the president and vice president in February 2010 to discuss education and early childhood development.

Next up for the singer? She'll be honored next month as the 2011 Latin Recording Academy "Person of the Year."

Comments

[sassiestkat]

02:32 PM on 10/23/2011

Wow, isn't this amazing? Shakira is also the first person I think about when I ponder who should be on Obama's education advisory committee.

How about asking advice from a country who has their education system on track? According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), All of these countries rank above us in Reading, Science and Math.:

Shanghai-China
Korea-South
Finland
Hong Kong-China
Singapore
Canada
New Zealand
Japan
Australia
Netherlands
Belgium
Norway
Estonia
Switzerland
Poland
Iceland

[LoftyDreamer]

10:26 AM on 10/09/2011

How about appointing a real TEACHER to an "advisory" post? How about adding some actual TEACHERS to this conversation? This is ludicrous and insulting to teachers.

[hursh 4 ever]

01:29 PM on 10/08/2011

Is she even a citizen of the U.S.?

[sassiestkat]

02:34 PM on 10/23/2011

No, she's Columbian. Apparently even our highest person in government feels education needs to be made a circus of instead of people who have trained and studied for years in the field of making educational change and evaluating what needs to change.

[LobaLuis]

04:43 AM on 10/25/2011

Actually, she's Colombian. You should first learn the proper spelling of countries before standing up on that pedestal.

Shakira has the experience of having implemented successful educational models in her native country. Her foundation (Barefoot Foundation) has been around since 1996 and has built 6 schools in Colombia, providing all attending students with a free education, free meals, and free uniforms. In the last 2 years, she has spoken at both Harvard University and Oxford College about her work in the field of education.

I doubt she needs the affirmation of some random person who thinks she's "Columbian."

[Dick Stone]

04:18 AM on 10/08/2011

I can certainly envision a lot of positions that Shakira would be exceptional in, none of those would have to do with education.

[MA2AW]

09:44 PM on 10/07/2011

I must say, I hope she has more qualifications than his eliet team of misfits that he has already. At least she looks good infront of a camera, and can sing, a little. But, can she read? Thats the question.

[LobaLuis]

10:06 PM on 10/07/2011

She is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and proficient in Italian.

[Eduardo Bautista]

12:59 AM on 10/08/2011

I think she is better than Bachmann and Palin already...

[BMWRedheadLaw]

12:43 AM on 10/09/2011

hola..y' si... ROFL.LMAO! thats funny i agree eduardo...si..ROFLMFAO.
I couldn't agree more with Bautista comment on Shakira hermosa te adoro..just adore her siempre.and i am even more of a fan ahora esa,Shakira love obama and support mi guy!
Adios Noche todo..

Para;
Sha'Kaarii Bella Melendez
Most Beautiful BMW Redhead over at FB

[matt gordon]

08:56 PM on 10/07/2011

It sounds more like an honorary group of people whom the admin can call upon for publicity. Unlike Bush, Obama does tend to appoint or hire people who are qualified for the position.

[Huminoid Typhoon]

02:51 PM on 10/07/2011

I love it. If I had the money to dedicate my life to bettering others to this degree I would. And to see someone as talented as successful be willing to do something with their lives is truly inspiring- especially in the day and age where so many become lost while successful. I hope she continues to make a difference for this huge part of the population- especially considering how the Hispanic community is being targeted- even when they are citizens- in so many parts of the country.

[Ruh78]

02:17 PM on 10/07/2011

Wow, talk about people having their panties in a bunch. How is this different than George H.W. Bush appointing Arnold to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports? Also, there are other people appointed to this commission, they are:

Nancy Navarro: a council member of the Montgomery Co. (MD) Council and previously served in the county's board of education

Adrián A. Pedroza is the Executive Director of the Partnership for Community Action, a grassroots, community-based organization that works to build community leadership around issues of immigration, education reform, and public health.

Dr. Kent P. Scribner is the Superintendent of Union High School District #210 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Many times it is useful to have these celebrities in these committees to get the public's attention. In the case of Shakira, she does a lot of activism when it comes to education, the same as Angelina Jolie does activism throughout the world, and many other celebrities.

[Huminoid Typhoon]

02:55 PM on 10/07/2011

You are 100% correct- she attracts International Attention. She is not sitting there deciding on curriculum and is an adviser with more experienced educators. The difference is that she has millions of fans worldwide and looks great in photo ops. Many celebrities have been on boards such as these over the years and become the mouthpiece for what they discuss behind closed doors. This is a good thing not one to make people mad. It will bring the attention to our educational needs- which we desperately need.

[shayes915]

08:37 AM on 10/07/2011

This is really irritating. You know there are actually people who dedicate their lives to studying these issues and researching ways to improve the educational situation for students from low SES and culturally diverse backgrounds. I happen to work with and know many. And many of them are FAR more deserving of this post than a pop star who donates her money to a "cause." Learning buzzwords and visiting impoverished areas and even coming from that experience does not make you an expert on how to change it. UGH!

[MamaO]

10:38 AM on 10/07/2011

She's not a US citizen. Plus, I don't think she even lives in the US, except for a place in Miami she's hardly ever at. This is pandering, plain and simple.

[LobaLuis]

05:25 PM on 10/07/2011

I see that you are trying to discredit her. Shakira does not only donate her money to a cause, she has created a foundation that has been in operation for 16 years working proactively to build schools in her own home country and providing 6,000 students with a free education and meals where her own Colombian government had failed to meet these children's needs.

Do some research of your own before you criticize a Pop star that you obviously know nothing about. Forming frustration over your stereotypes and poorly-conceived notions of who she is and what she has done will get you nowhere.

Shakira has the experience of actually having transformed impoverished areas in her own home country. She didn't simply visit them. She currently has 6 of her own schools in operation.

[shayes915]

05:43 PM on 10/07/2011

I am not discrediting the work that Shakira is doing. I think it is great when celebrities use their money for good. And I think she should continue her work. Instead I am claiming that funding a foundation in her spare time between recording her albums and touring the world could not possibly have given her the experience required to earn a post on a presidential administration. I'm saying that there are people far more deserving who have dedicated their lives to gaining knowledge and experience about education. She was chosen because of her celebrity status. Think what you want.

[LeetAmerico]

09:13 PM on 10/06/2011

I nominate Andrew W.K. for the President's Advisory Commission on Partying.

[Feathered Soul]

07:46 PM on 10/06/2011

This smells of desperation... There are plenty of other qualified people to take on this job; such as anyone who has actually went to college to study Education and work in the field...

[JScott]

10:55 AM on 10/06/2011

Teaching belly dancing.

[arecibo48]

10:48 AM on 10/06/2011

I would like to know the names of the other members of this Advisory Commission. Many times these advisory appointments don't have a say on what the president will do in this field; they are mostly for show.

[Chuck Bluestein]

09:55 AM on 10/06/2011

I think that this is an excellent idea since she has so many fans. Have you heard of her song Waka Waka (This TIme for Africa). It was officially chosen as the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup! If anyone can, she can make fitness more fun. Waka Waka http://bit.ly/oAjIKM

[lemmyk73]

09:16 AM on 10/06/2011

As far as pop goes, Shakira is pretty great but Obama is such an amateur. Shakira is by no means qualified to be in any position such as this. Obama should have picked a non celebrity with education experience. But as usual, Obama does the wrong thing.