We must also challenge the system that prevents us from promoting and rewarding excellence in teaching. We cannot ask our teachers to perform the impossible—to teach poorly prepared children with inadequate resources—and then punish them when children perform poorly on a standardized test. But if we give teachers the resources they need; if we pay them more and give them time for professional development; if they are given ownership over the design of better assessment tools and a creative curricula; if we shape reforms with teachers rather than imposing changes on teachers, then it is fair to expect better results. Where there are teachers who are still struggling and underperforming, we should provide them with individual help and support. And if they’re still underperforming after that, we should find a quick and fair way to put another teacher in that classroom. Our children deserve no less.

　　我们还必须反对阻碍提拔和奖励优秀教师的体制。我们不能强求教师做无米之炊—用匮乏的资源教育准备不充分的孩子—而当孩子们在标准化测试中表现不佳时就唯老师是问。倘若向教师提供必要的资源，使他们领到更高的薪水并拥有更多的职业发展的时间；倘若他们拥有了设计优化评估工具和创新课程的自主权，倘若我们和老师们一起制定改革方案而不是将变革强加在他们身上，那么对教师有更佳教学表现的期待才是公允的。对那些虽然努力却表现欠佳的教师，我们应对其进行个别的帮助和支持。如果此时他们的表现仍不合格，我们就应通过迅速且公平的方式调换新老师到这个班级。这些是我们的孩子应得的待遇。 　　Finally, our commitment cannot end with a high-school degree. The chance to get a college education must not be a privilege of the few—it should be a birthright of every single American. Senator McCain is campaigning on a plan to give more tax breaks to corporations. I want to give tax breaks to young people, in the form of an annual $4,000 tax credit that will cover two-thirds of the tuition at an average public college and make community college completely free. In return, I will ask students to serve, whether it’s by teaching, joining the Peace Corps, or working in your community. And for those who serve in our military, we’ll cover all of your tuition with an even more generous twenty-first-century GI Bill. The idea is simple—America invests in you, and you invest in America. That’s how we’re going to ensure that America succeeds in this century.

　　最后，我们的承诺将不仅仅局限于中学教育。接受大学教育的机会不应该只是少数人的特权—而应该是每一个美国人与生俱来的权利。麦凯恩参议员在竞选中提出进一步为企业减税的计划。我希望通过每年4 000美元税收抵免的形式给年轻人减税，这相当于公立大学平均学费的2/3，并使社区大学全部免费。作为交换，我会要求学生们用服务的方式来回报—教书育人、参加和平队（Peace Corps）或者服务社区。对于服军役的学生，我们将用更加慷慨的21世纪《退伍军人法案》来支付其全部学费。道理很简单—美国在你身上投资，你为美国做贡献。我们将通过这种方式确保美国在21世纪获得成功。