Literacy is about a lot more than reading and jobs

[Commentary] Today, if you want to make a living, you have to be able not just to read but to be truly literate. You have to be able to imagine what the next jobs are going to look like. You have to be able to imagine the lives of people in China, in India, in Brazil, because you're going to be competing with them. So helping children become literate is our patriotic duty. They'll be better citizens, of course, because they can think critically and vote accordingly. They'll have richer and fuller personal lives because they can understand other people. And they'll be able to participate in the life of this country in a way that's constructive, positive and informed.