Obama administration makes Title IX's 37th birthday a happy one

The economy is still beyond worrisome.

And the Obama administration's spending spree, I mean "stimulus," has me questioning this president's leadership and foresight.

But Barack Obama did earn major points with me this week when I learned that his administration plans to vigorously support Title IX and enforce its requirements.

Title IX is the clause of the Educational Amendments of 1972 that reads: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

Most notably, Title IX has benefited girls and women in athletics, where their participation at the high school and collegiate levels has skyrocketed since the 1970s. Funding has increased significantly and so have opportunities.

But there is still more work to do, and the Obama administration seems up to the task.

On Tuesday, Title IX marked its 37th birthday and the White House led the celebration in a way that no other White House has. Believe it or not, President Obama is the first president to publicly commemorate the anniversary of Title IX, a gesture which those in the administration say illustrates Obama's strong and genuine commitment to Title IX and its ideals.

Festivities at the White House included remarks from Obama during his press conference from the Rose Garden and a roundtable discussion that included former tennis great and women's sports advocate Billie Jean King, former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes and some heavy political hitters such as Education Secretary Arne Duncan and White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, a Chicago native.

Former Indiana Senator Birch Bayh, the co-author of Title IX, was also on hand and made a few comments as video from the roundtable was streamed live over the Internet and through Facebook.

"We are hardly going to rest on our laurels until there is absolutely equality, and we're not there yet," said Jarrett, who moderated the roundtable. "What can we do better? What legislation can we put forward? At the federal level, we should be doing what we can within our power to lift up the lives of women and girls."

Although Title IX has already lifted up many lives, mine being one of them, some members of the panel pointed to "slippages" in recent years, a reference to the Bush Administration's apparent attempt to weaken Title IX compliance standards.

The message on Tuesday was that Title IX was again strong and only going to get stronger - and not just in the athletic arena.

Title IX applies to any federally funded program, which also includes academics. A focus of the Obama administration is also going to be to strengthen the position of women and girls in traditionally male-dominated curricula such as math and science.

Duncan announced that $2.4 million in four-year grants will be presented to 13 groups that help high school girls improve their proficiency in math and science.

"Despite significant progress in so many areas (related to Title IX), everyone in this room knows we have a long way to go," Duncan said. "Programs such as (the grants) and the work of the White House Council of Women and Girls and many Title IX advocacy groups are extremely important to ensure fairness and access.

"This work is absolutely critical for the success of our students and the competitive future of our country."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com