Facing a packed high school gymnasium in Virginia, President Barack Obama delivered a message of inspiration and perseverance to thousands of students across New York and the nation.

Obama set a positive tone for the upcoming school year as he urged students to be active participants in their education.

"I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down — don't let your family, your country or yourself down," he said.

The president's message "is right on target and strikes the perfect tone for the new academic year," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. "We all share a responsibility in closing the achievement gap and ensuring every child receives a quality education."

Obama put his call for consistent student effort in the context of the federal government's commitment to the nation's schools.

"I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve," he said. "None of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities — unless you show up to these schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed."

Obama acknowledged that many students listening to his remarks come from difficult situations, where the achievement gap is an ongoing challenge every day for students and the educators who have committed their careers to them.

"Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you will end up. No one has written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America," Obama said.

Iannuzzi applauded that sentiment. "The president has clearly encouraged students to set their goals high. We as a society have an obligation to make higher education accessible and affordable for every child who wants to achieve that goal," he said.

Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C., where Obama spoke, has made substantial progress in closing the achievement gap. It has 1,500 students, 48 percent of whom take part in the free or reduced lunch program, and 75 percent of whom are from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. More than 40 percent of the 2009 graduating class had completed at least one Advanced Placement course.