Work Hard—No Excuses—Obama Tells Nation’s Students

Arlington, Va.

In a speech that triggered advance controversy—and logistical headaches for school officials— President Barack Obama today urged America’s K-12 students to study hard and stay in school, saying, “What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.”

His remarks to an assembly at Wakefield High School just outside Washington, which were broadcast and carried online nationally, capped days of criticism, primarily from conservative opponents of the president, who asserted that Mr. Obama might use the address to persuade children to support his political agenda.

In the end, after school districts across the country grappled with whether to show the speech—allowing parents to make the decision for their children, in many cases—the president delivered a message focused on personal responsibility and students’ own educational goals...