John Bridgeland

Coauthored by John Bridgeland and Betty Morgan

One in five students in Maryland does not graduate from high school on time. In some high schools, the rate is closer to one in two. The dropout crisis in Maryland comes at tremendous costs to individuals, taxpayers, and the state....

Bipartisan outpourings are rare in Washington these days. So when they happen, they should make news. The occasion was the birthday celebration of eight decades of service by Harris Wofford.

They came out in droves -- Colin and Alma Powell and members of the Shriver family; a former speechwriter to...

Co-authored by Robert Balfanz

The state of our economy -- with high unemployment, a looming fiscal crisis, a growing skills gap, and sticky ladder of social mobility -- rightfully preoccupies our national dialogue. One solution is clear -- we need to educate our way out of the economic crisis. The...

There are no silver bullets to solve the dropout crisis and blunt instruments often go too far. But when President Obama in his State of the Union address urged states to raise the legal dropout age from 16 to when students graduate or turn 18, we cheered.

Almost...

By John M. Bridgeland and Jessica Milano

Nearly one in six youth ages 16 to 24 are disconnected from school and work -- and they are often completely forgotten by our country, unmentioned in the unemployment headlines, and overlooked in the political debate. Some are high school dropouts, while others...

The economy is taking its toll on retirement security in America. The unexpected turbulence in traditional forms of saving -- from pensions to 401(k)s to homes -- deepens the profound savings challenge most Americans face in the coming decades. With diminished assets and an aging population, Americans will need to...

Co-authored by Gaston Capterton.

Tight budgets mean tough times, but pinching pennies should not mean less money for children in schoolhouses across America. One in four children fails to graduate from high school with their peers. We need "all hands on deck" and a smarter use of...

This post was co-authored by Mark Edwards

One year ago, Fareed Zakaria threw down the gauntlet in his TIME cover story, How to Restore the American Dream, when he said, "the grim reality is that technology and globalization are shattering the middle class... the good news is that...

By John Bridgeland, Harris Wofford & Kevin Quigley

Fifty years ago, the dream of sending thousands of Americans abroad to foster peace and prosperity became reality with the signing of the Peace Corps Act on September 22, 1961.

In this anniversary year, we enlisted Hart Research to survey more...

The 10th year anniversary of 9/11 prompts many reflections -- of shock and terror; loved ones lost; heroic first responders; intelligence successes and failures; and a nation at war. But 9/11 prompted something else in the American psyche that reflected the heart of our nation -- our instinct to care...

The essence of America has been an embrace of innovation in all its forms -- politically with democracy, economically with highly developed capitalism, and scientifically through the protection of invention. It is in this last area of scientific and technological breakthroughs that America will find its best chance of reclaiming...

Three young Egyptian women spoke movingly this morning about their part in Egypt's revolution. As events continue to unfold, Americans should listen to their voices and stories to understand what's at stake across Northern Africa and the Middle East.

The spark of revolution, they said, related to self respect and...

This post was co-authored by John M. Bridgeland and Jessica Milano

How can it be that today, in the midst of the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression and millions of Americans seeking work, that 53 percent of employers -- and 67 percent of small business employers that...

Millions of Americans have now seen Waiting for "Superman", the documentary showing that an excellent education for low-income children is often a matter of chance. Viewers watch with angst as numbers are pulled from jars, identifying the few children who will have a chance at a quality education to...

When I received the news of David Broder's death, I was in the middle of writing a case statement on why we needed more civility in our public discourse. David exemplified that civility and was able to bridge ideology, party, and national tensions to spark action on issues about which...

Last night, two hundred students at an "Active Citizens Conference" at the College of William and Mary reminded me once again of the value of national service and our country's investment in it.

One graduate organized students all across America to build Habitat for Humanity homes for low-income...

When my sister asked us to name our heroes at Christmas dinner, I chose Sargent Shriver. I explained to my family that I loved Sarge because he was about the cause, not about himself. His devotion to many missions touched millions of lives and transformed our world.

Most people do...

This post was co-authored by Robert Balfanz

Addressing the nation's governors in 2005, Bill Gates stated that America's high schools had become obsolete. The problem with our high schools, he warned, was not just that they were "broken, flawed, and under-funded," but were designed for another age and "cannot teach...

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed the purpose of what is now Veterans Day on November 11, 1919:

To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude...

A degree beyond high school has become the ladder of opportunity in America and a proven pathway out of poverty. More than 95 million jobs today are high-skill, high-wage, yet only 45 million Americans have the education and training to fill them. More than 100 million Americans are vying to...