[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 5, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 53887-53888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22913]



[[Page 53885]]

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Part V





The President





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Proclamation 7336--America Goes Back to School, 2000
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 172 / Tuesday, September 5, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 53887]]

                Proclamation 7336 of August 31, 2000

                
America Goes Back to School, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                For America's students, the new school year is a time 
                for learning lessons, making friends, and setting 
                goals. For America's parents, it is a time to focus on 
                the role education plays in their children's lives and 
                future. And for our Nation, it is a time to strengthen 
                our efforts to improve the quality of education and to 
                make America's schools safe, nurturing places where 
                children can reach their full potential.

                This year a record 53 million young people will fill 
                our schools--the highest enrollment in our Nation's 
                history--and communities across the country are 
                struggling to provide adequate classroom space and to 
                hire qualified teachers to meet students' needs. To 
                assist local school districts in meeting these critical 
                challenges, my Administration's proposed education 
                budget for fiscal 2001 includes tax credits and loans 
                to help communities build and modernize 6,000 schools 
                and to make emergency repairs to another 25,000. We 
                have also requested an additional $1.75 billion to meet 
                our goal of hiring 100,000 qualified teachers to reduce 
                class size in the early grades and $1 billion in new 
                funds to recruit and train high-quality teachers for 
                every grade level. And we have proposed dramatic 
                increases in the Federal investment in after-school and 
                summer school programs, safe and drug-free schools, and 
                support to help States and districts to turn around 
                failing schools. These critical investments, coupled 
                with my Administration's ongoing commitment to high 
                standards and accountability, will help children across 
                the country reach their full potential.

                While the Federal Government has an important role to 
                play in improving the quality of American education, it 
                is the efforts of local school boards, families, and 
                communities, working together, that make the crucial 
                difference in preparing our children for the future. 
                Parents who read with their children, monitor homework 
                and out-of-school activities, demand high academic 
                standards and challenging coursework, and encourage 
                greater community support and investment in school 
                activities have an enormous impact on their children's 
                academic success. Similarly, businesses with family-
                friendly leave policies, community organizations that 
                offer after-school programs, libraries that provide 
                access to computers and educational software, 
                volunteers who help children read or who serve as 
                mentors--all of these people and programs help create 
                supportive environments that enable students to make 
                the most of their education.

                America Goes Back to School is a nationwide initiative, 
                in partnership with the Department of Education, to 
                encourage and support family and community involvement 
                in improving children's learning. The initiative's 
                theme, ``Challenge Our Students and They Will Soar,'' 
                reflects the importance of setting high expectations 
                for America's young people and reminds us that we each 
                have a role to play in providing our Nation's students 
                with the schools, teachers, and standards they need to 
                achieve their dreams and succeed in this new century.

[[Page 53888]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim September 4 through 
                September 10, 2000, as a time when America Goes Back to 
                School. I encourage parents, schools, community and 
                State leaders, businesses, civic and religious 
                organizations, and the people of the United States to 
                observe this period with appropriate ceremonies and 
                activities expressing support for high academic 
                standards and promoting family and community 
                involvement in providing a quality education for every 
                child.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-22913
Filed 9-1-00; 11:50 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P