THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all so very much for that warm
welcome. It's really great to be here with so many men and women who
have made education your life's work.
Yesterday, I had the high honor of signing H.R. One -- the No Child
Left Behind Act -- which begins a new and hopeful era for American
education. (Applause.) We're bringing new
resources and higher standards to struggling schools. We're
placing greater emphasis on the basics of reading and
math. And we're giving parents better information and more
say in how their sons and daughters are
educated. (Applause.)
Two decades ago, experts looked at public education and saw a
nation at risk. A nation described at risk is now a nation
on the road to reform. (Applause.)
I am so proud of what our administration and members of Congress
from both political parties have achieved. We have shown
what is possible in Washington, D.C. We have shown that if
you put the nation's interests ahead of political party, you can
achieve mighty, mighty reform. (Applause.)
The House and the Senate passed education legislation by
overwhelming margins. I signed the legislation into
law. And now much of the real work begins. Now we
must turn our principles into progress, and progress into excellence,
and excellence into the lives of hope and achievement.
I want to thank Secretary Rod Paige and all who work at the
Department of Education. (Applause.) America is
getting to know that I picked a good man to be the Secretary of
Education. The guy is down to earth, he's got a lot of
experience -- he ran a huge school district in the state of Texas, and
brought excellence, the standard of excellence into classrooms in
Houston, Texas. (Applause.)
I want to thank three of the four members of our merry band of
travelers. (Laughter.) Yesterday, we went around
parts of our country together. It was my honor to travel
will Miller and Boehner and Kennedy and Judd Gregg. I figure
Judd got tired of hearing us -- (laughter) -- so he peeled
off. (Laughter.)
But I want to repeat some of the things I said
yesterday. First of all, I know the folks in Crawford, Texas
won't believe this, but Ted Kennedy is an able, good
man. (Laughter and applause.) This bill would not
have happened had he decided not to work to make it
happen. He put his mind to
it. (Applause.) I learned this: you
want him on your side in a legislative battle.
I also want to thank George Miller, from the state of California.
(Applause.) George is a proud liberal, but also he's a proud
author of this bill. He cares deeply about a system that
quits kids -- he wants to change
it. (Applause.) I like him so much, I gave him a
nickname: Big George. (Laughter.)
But I've enjoyed working with these two Democrats. They
are a credit to their party but, more importantly, a credit to our
country. (Applause.)
Yesterday, I signed the bill in Chairman Boehner's district.
(Applause.) I knew Boehner had a big family -- (laughter) --
I didn't realize it was that big. (Laughter.) I
did so because John was a steady influence in the process; he kept the
process moving forward, even in the face of 9/11. He said,
we've got to get a bill and he worked hard to bring people together to
get it done. Mr. Chairman, you did a fabulous job and I
thank you. (Applause.)
I want to thank the other members of Congress who are
here. Mike Castle is here, from the state of Delaware; Van
Hilleary, from Tennessee; Johnny Isakson, from Georgia; Tim Roemer,
from Indiana; Bobby Scott, from Virginia. And a delegate
from Puerto Rico, Delegate Anibal Acevedo-Vila. Thank you for all
coming here today. (Applause.)
And then we're going to pass some of the power -- as you know,
you'll hear soon -- out of Washington, and it's going to be up to the
governors to make things happen. And, fortunately, we've got
four fine governors with us today: Roy Barnes, of Georgia;
Sila Calderon, of Puerto Rico; Mark Schweiker, of Pennsylvania; and my
brother. (Applause.) Thank you all for
coming. (Applause.)
Republicans and Democrats share the same basic commitments on
education. We believe good public schools should not be
islands of excellence. They should be found in every city
and in every neighborhood in America. We believe that no
child should ever be written off because every child is important and
every child can learn. (Applause.)
We believe education is a national priority and a local
responsibility; that Washington should be giving our schools help, not
giving them orders. (Applause.) We share these
convictions and we have acted on them.
We have given new tools of reform to teachers and principals, local
and state officials, and parents. Now we must finish the
job. We have a great task to complete, and everyone has
responsibilities to meet. Those responsibilities begin in
the classroom. The No Child Left Behind Act provides new
training opportunities for teachers to develop their professional
skills and their knowledge. The law gives incentives to hire
and train teachers, and it backs up teachers who impose reasonable
discipline in their classrooms. We want teachers in charge
of their classrooms, not plaintiff's attorneys. (Applause.)
We're also putting more resources into the
classroom. This year, the federal government will spend more
than $22 billion on elementary and secondary education, an increase of
more than 25 percent over last year. (Applause.) Because of
our commitment to assist low-income students, we will increase spending
on Title I by 18 percent. Because teachers are so important,
we will increase spending on teacher training by 33 percent.
(Applause.) And because reading is the gateway to all learning, we will
more than triple federal funding for early reading
programs. (Applause.) We are willing to spend more for
education and we will spend it on what works. (Applause.)
In return for this commitment, my administration and the American
people expect results. (Applause.) We expect
every child to learn basic skills. We expect failing schools
to be turned around. We expect teachers and principals to do
their jobs well, to have a firm grasp on their subject matter, and to
welcome measurement and accountability. (Applause.)
All who have chosen the noble profession of teaching should know
this: we are counting on your energy and your imagination to make
these reforms real for America's children. You have our
confidence and you'll have our support.
Local and state officials have responsibilities, as
well. Yesterday, I mentioned, I went to Hamilton,
Ohio. Then we went to Durham, New Hampshire and Boston,
Massachusetts. I was with parents and teachers who know the
faces and names and needs of their own children. Local
schools now have a mandate to reform, and we are giving them the
freedom to reform. (Applause.)
It is the job of the local folks to chart the path for excellence
for every single child in America, and we trust them to do
so. (Applause.) As a result of this bill, local
officials now have unprecedented flexibility to decide where to spend
money and target reforms. We are increasing support and
funding for research into teaching methods that work. And we
will spend almost $400 million to help states design and administer
tests.
In return, we expect states to set standards of basic knowledge and
to make steady progress toward meeting those
standards. Every student in grades three through eight will
be tested in reading and math.
Every time I talk about testing I sometimes see people wince --
particularly, the students, they don't like to take
tests. (Laughter.) My attitude is, too
bad. (Laughter and applause.) How can you correct
problems if you do not diagnose the problem in the first place?
(Applause.)
In order to make sure children are not simply shuffled through the
system, we must measure. We must determine what needs to be
corrected early, before it's too late. States must show us
that overall student achievement is
improving. (Applause.) And, as importantly, they
must show that the achievement gap between the disadvantaged students
and other students is closing. (Applause.)
And, in particular, in grades three through eight, all school
districts -- I mean all school districts -- must show that students can
read and write effectively. (Applause.)
I expect most schools will rise to the challenge. I
believe that. Some may not, and they must be held
accountable. They will have time to improve, they will have
incentives to improve and they will have the resources to improve as a
result of this bill. And if they still do not improve, there
are real consequences and new options for parents. (Applause.)
The local and state officials in charge of America's schools carry
a great trust, and we really are counting on you all. You
are the rising generation of reformers. You can serve your
community and you can serve your country. Do not settle for
mediocrity. (Applause.) Accept no
excuses. Set high goals, and raise them
again. And keep raising the standards. That is
the task of leadership, and we trust you to take it on. (Applause.)
The success of these reforms also depends on parents. To
be a mom or a dad is to be your child's first and most important
teacher. So under this new law, parents will have the
information they need to do what is best for their
children. (Applause.)
Parents will have access to an annual report card on school
performance. And they'll have access to statewide
results. They will know the qualifications of the teachers
and their children's achievements in key subjects. If
schools persistently fail their children, parents will have more
options: a better public school, a charter school or a
tutor. (Applause.)
In return, we expect that parents will use this
information. Parents need to pay attention to school
performance. They should insist on results. And,
when necessary, they must be strong advocates for change. They should
offer praise when they can and pressure when it's called for. If
you're a parent, visit your child's school. (Applause.)
Get to know the teachers and principals. Support the
school. And demand excellence. And remember that
every child should come to school ready to learn. Good
manners and respect for teachers are learned at home.
(Applause.) Good study habits are reinforced by mothers and
fathers who are willing to switch off the TV set and turn off video
games to make sure the homework gets done. (Applause.)
As parents, you're entitled to expect a lot from schools and
teachers. And schools and teachers are entitled to expect some things
from you, as well. (Applause.)
This nation has waited many years for major reform in education.
We've now achieved it. And we're wasting no time in
implementing it. Tonight, Secretary Paige will meet with state
education leaders on plans to put these reforms to work.
This is an hour of promise for America's public
schools. My signature is now on the law, but it was the work
of many hands. Together we have overcome old arguments and
outdated policies. And now, together, let us see these
changes through until every school succeeds and no child is left
behind.