here at benjamin banneker, you have been back to school for a few weeks now. everything is just starting to settle in. it is just like for all your peers across the country. the fall sports season is underway, musicals and marching band routines are starting to shape up, i believe, and your first big test and projects are probably just around the corner. i know that you've also got a great deal going on outside of school. your circle of friends might be changing a little bit. issues that used to stay confined to hallways are locker rooms are now finding their way onto facebook, twitter [laughter] some of your families might also be feeling the strain of the economy. we are going through one of the toughest economic times we have gone through in our lifetimes, in my lifetime, your lifetime has not been that long. as a consequence, you might have to pick up an after-school job to help out your family. or maybe you are babysitting for younger sibling because mom or dad is working an extra shift. all of you have a lot of your place. you guys are growing up faster

now it is great to be here at benjamin banneker high school one of the best high schools not only in d.c. but one of the best high schools in the country. and -- [ applause ] but we have students tuning in from all across america. and so i want to welcome you all to the new school year although i know that many of you have already been in school for a while. i know that here at banker you have been back at school for a few weeks now few weeks now. so everything is just starting to settle in. just like for all your peers all across the country. the fall sports season is under way. musical and marching band routines are starting to shape up, i believe. and your first big tests and projects are probably just around the corner. your circle of friends might be changing a little bit. issues that used to stay confined to hallways and locker rooms are finding their way onto facebook and twitter. some of your families might also be feeling the strain of the economy. this is one of the toughest economies in my lifetime. your lifetime hasn't been that long. so as a consequence you might have to

telling the students at benjamin banneker high school in washington, d.c. that they need to graduate from high school. they need to go onto higher education. 60% of the jobs opening up in the next decade will require more than a high school education but that the u.s. rates 16th in college completion ranks. he says we want to be number one. he doesn't like being number 16. that wraps it up for us as the president completes his message to students all across america and their parents. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. now to peter alexander in for tamron hall today. >> thank you very much. in for tamron hall as you noted today. the news nation is following new details in the michael jackson trial. we want to show you these live pictures of the courtroom as we speak. where michael jackson's personal assistant, michael williams, has just taken the stand. williams told the court that jackson was, in his words, in good spirits the night before his death and said the last rehearsal was, quote, a may izing. the pop star's family arrived with crowds of fans and ph

. >>> president obama is set to deliver his third annual back-to-school speech at benjamin banneker academicool in washington. this is a live picture as they're getting ready for him there. in the past, the president encouraged students to take responsibility for their education by setting goals and leaving in themselves. the speech is being televised live to schools across the country and is also being carried, where else, online. our brianna keilar joins us live from the white house. so, brianna, what do we expect to hear from the president today? >> reporter: you're expecting, randi, to hear a lot more of the encouragement that you've heard in past year. i've read the speech, which has been controversial in past year, because of the way in 2009 it was rolled out by the department of education and you ended up having some parents who protested and said they didn't want their kids to have to watch this speech broadcast live in classrooms. but i've read the speech, it's not a partisan speech. it sort of frames student achievement as patriotic, saying, you are the future of the country and yo