For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 27, 2001
Radio Address by the President to the Nation
Listen to the President's
Remarks
10:06 A.M. EST
THE
PRESIDENT: A week ago today I received a great honor, and
all the great responsibilities that come with it. The first
order of business is education reform, and we have started strong.
On Tuesday,
I sent to Congress a package of reforms to turn last year's pledges
into this year's laws. I want to make all of our public
schools places of learning and high standards and
achievement. Our country must offer every child, no matter
what his or her background or accent, a fair start in life with a
quality education.
I also met
this week with congressional leaders in both parties, and we found a
lot of agreement on the basic goals of reform. No one is
content with the status quo. Most are open to new
ideas. Everyone agrees at least that the problems are
serious and action is urgently needed.
This city
has heard so much talk over the years about education
reform. So many different approaches have been
tried. So many new programs have been
created. But we need more than a few new
programs. We need a new way of thinking. We must
go back to the fundamentals of early reading and regular testing, local
control, and accountability for results, clear incentives for
excellence, and clear consequences for failure.
These are
the elements of the plan I am proposing. Real reform starts
by giving schools and school districts more authority and
flexibility. We cannot expect schools to change unless they
have the freedom to change. My plan respects the principle
of local control. It does not try to run the schools from a
central office in Washington. I view principals, teachers
and parents as allies in reform. They are ready to raise the
standards, ready to take responsibility and answer for results.
Those
results must be measured by testing every child every year, in tests
developed and administered by states and local districts, not the
federal government. Without yearly testing, we do not know
who is falling behind and who needs our help. Without yearly
testing, too often we don't find failure until it is too
late. Testing allows us to help children early, before
frustration turns into apathy.
We need to
aim high, but we also need to be realistic. Many schools,
particularly those in poor neighborhoods, will need help to meet high
standards. And they will have it, including a new $5 billion
initiative over five years for reading instruction. The goal
is to improve our public schools. We want them to succeed,
and when they're willing to change, we'll give them the tools to do
so.
At the same
time, we will not continue to pour taxpayers' money into schools that
do not teach and will not change. My plan will give every
failing school a fair chance to improve, but there will be a deadline,
a moment of truth when parents are given better options and their
children are given a way out.
There are
some honest differences of opinion in Congress about what form these
options should take. I have my own plan which would help
children in persistently failing schools to go to another public,
private or charter school. Others suggest different
approaches, and I am willing to listen. But all reform must
be based on a principle: Children and parents, who have had
only bad choices need better choices. And it is my duty as
President to help them.
In sending
my plan to Congress, I ask that we act before this summer, when schools
begin planning for the next school year. I hope to have the
support of Republicans and Democrats alike, and I hope to have your
support, as well.
Thank you
for listening.
END 10:11
A.M. EST
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