Condoleezza Rice sees education as route to equal opportunity

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Condoleezza Rice was the keynote speaker at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting Thursday night.

Emily Behlmann

Digital Editor- Wichita Business Journal

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As might be expected, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talked in Wichita Thursday night about several international crises that have left her "concerned about the state of the country and the world."

But Rice indicated at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce annual meeting that she isn't just worried about threats like ISIS and Vladimir Putin flexing his muscles. At home, one of her biggest concerns is the idea that not everyone in the United States has equal access to the American dream.

Rice, a Standford University educator and the first black woman to serve as Secretary of State, grew up during the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Ala. She said the movement was successful in removing many legal impediments to equal rights, yet inequality persists.

She said her parents told her that she would have to work twice as hard as others to be successful. Working twice as hard is advice she passes on to others.

"But we have to make sure that if people work twice as hard, they really have a chance," Rice said.

Education could be an answer, Rice said, but not in its current condition. She said she sees a system where families of means can send their kids to high-quality private schools or live in neighborhoods with strong public schools. But other students are stuck at schools with poor performance.

"We're badly serving the kids with the least means," she said.

The system needs to be fixed, Rice said, but she suggested vouchers as an interim solution.

The country has other work ahead of it in terms of education, Rice said, including solving the mismatch between the skills workers have and those employers need.

Emily Behlmann oversees the website and other digital projects. She covers technology. For technology news, subscribe to the WBJ's free TechFlash newsletter.