By Eric Schwarz, Founder and CEO of Citizen Schools September, 2008 For years, policy makers have debated

who holds the prime responsibility for education: parents or teachers Obviously it!s parents, "oes one ar"ument# $hey are a child!s first teachers, and ideally they read to children from birth, help with homework, and si"n up for summer camp and after%school lessons# Obviously it!s teachers, some counter& they are the professionals, and ideally, they spark ima"inations and lift aspirations beyond what children learn at home# Both ar"uments are ri"ht# Clearly, a child benefits from "ood parents and "ood teachers# But sometimes even the best parents and teachers aren!t enou"h, and unfortunately neither are doled out in e'ual supply# Our children and schools need all the help they can "et, and national service is the critical missin" in"redient to effective education reform, complimentin" parents and teachers in helpin" all kids succeed# On September ((th and ()th in *ew +ork, ,-- leaders from every corner of .merican society will convene to launch an unprecedented campai"n to increase volunteer opportunities for all .mericans, tar"et our most difficult societal problems, and promote service as a core ideal# $he campai"n is called Service*ation and ((- or"anizations, ran"in" from ../0 and the 1nited 2ay, have lined up behind it# Collectively, this coalition reaches (-- million .mericans# Senators Obama and 3cCain will kick off the *ew +ork summit with a nationally broadcast forum on service# $he campai"n vision is an .merica in which (-- million .mericans volunteer time in their communities every year, and where one million .mericans annually choose to commit a year of their lives to national service 4 harnessin" .merican creativity and ener"y to address our "enerations! "reatest challen"es, includin" education# On September )5th, Service*ation is or"anizin" a national 6ay of .ction, where tens of thousands of .mericans will "ather at events across the country to hi"hli"ht the impact that service has 4 and could have 4 upon our country# $here are nearly (-- events re"istered in

the Boston area alone, includin" a mornin" of volunteer testimonies on the Boston Common Bandstand# . key proposal of Service*ation is to scale up national service pro"rams such as .meriCorps, and tar"et specific challen"es throu"h special corps, includin" an Education Corps that will be devoted to providin" public schools with the help they need# $he Education Corps would mobilize volunteers to serve in .merica!s neediest schools and challen"e millions 4 scientists, artists, en"ineers, and other professionals 4 to teach what they know and love in the nation!s classrooms, after%school pro"rams and pre%school centers# Senators $ed 7ennedy and Orrin 8atch are workin" with the national service community to develop le"islation to set us on a path toward these ambitious "oals# 3assachusetts makes a powerful case for the potential that the Service*ation vision has to transform our nation# Our state is a learnin" laboratory for social entrepreneurs and dozens of pro"rams in the Commonwealth already demonstrate the power of service to drive results# Citizen Schools en"a"es both stipended volunteers and community volunteers to run academic support and apprenticeship pro"rams that connect volunteers to middle school students in hands%on learnin" pro9ects after school# Citizen Schools attendees outperformed a comparison "roup on , out of 5 academic metrics, includin" attendance, suspension, test scores and promotion rates, accordin" to an e:ternal evaluation# City +ear en"a"es more than (,;-- City +ear corps members per year, each committin" to a year of service# 3ore than two%thirds work full% time in schools# Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, role models, and leaders of after%school pro"rams and vacation camps# City +ear takes a <2hole School, 2hole Child= comprehensive approach to aidin" public schools# >n addition to improvin" student performance, the pro"ram has impacted areas such as suspensions and attendance# .cross the country, well%trained volunteers are helpin" to e:pand the learnin" day, increase student achievement and reduce the dropout rate# *ow, those pro"rams that work best need support to "row# 0rovidin" an e:cellent education for the children of 3assachusetts will be difficult, but it is critical to our state!s future# $eachers and parents are at the center of this effort, but for our boldest aspirations to be realized and for all of our children to flourish, citizens are the key# >t is

time to inspire more .mericans to volunteer in our classrooms and schools, and to make sure opportunities e:ist for every volunteer that answers that call# >ma"ine what our children can achieve if we tap the wisdom, e:perience and leadership available in the e:traordinary people who make up our "reat country# For information on ServiceNation and Day of Action, visit www.servicenation.org.