    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [February 21, 1991]
    [Pages 164-165]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the National Parents and Teachers Association Week
    Proclamation
    February 21, 1991

        The President. Welcome to the White House. And may I thank
    Congressman Kildee for being with us. Of course, single out for special
    recognition Ann Lynch, the president of the National PTA. And, of
    course, Ted Sanders, who is our Under Secretary at Education and who
    really is a man of commitment and has done an outstanding job all across
    the board for education.
        I want to welcome Mr. Stair, the president of ServiceMaster, this
    year's--right here--this year's sponsor of the National Parents and
    Teachers Association Week. And we are grateful to you, sir.
        And a special welcome to the teachers and the parents, and, of
    course, the students--you're outnumbered, but you're here--[laughter]--
    from communities in and around our Washington area, representing the
    many millions who, together, make up the real strength of the PTA.
        And I want to begin today by sharing with you the results of a
    recent poll of the Nation's fourth graders. These days we all live by
    instant polling. And this one I know you will find fascinating. They
    were asked to pick a hero from the following list: Bart Simpson, George
    Bush, Paula Abdul, Bo Jackson, or E, none of the above. And they did not
    pick A, C, or D, or sad to say, B. [Laughter] The winners were write-in
    candidates. Children picked parents as their heroes by a landslide. And
    teachers were the runners-up, right in there very, very close. And Bo
    Jackson was third--[laughter]--and they didn't dare give me the rest of
    the results. [Laughter]
        But the fact of the matter is that parents are our children's first
    teachers. And I guess Barbara, in her reading to kids, exemplifies this
    pretty darn well; now it's grandkids for

    [[Page 165]]

    us. But it's more than a matter of helping our kids do their homework,
    teaching them how to read, or showing them through our own interests
    that learning is a lifelong pursuit. Our kids look to us for the moral
    values that guide and shape our lives.
        And we know children look to us, and it's up to us to give our kids
    something to look up to. Ann Lynch is right on the mark when she says
    that ``the difference between a good school and a great school is the
    parents.''
        And those of us in government, at the Federal level and in the
    statehouses and right down to the local school boards, have a
    responsibility to ensure that parents are at the center of educational
    reform. Together, let's work to meet a common challenge; let's find a
    way to help children who lack the advantages that come from a loving
    home and caring parents.
        I am convinced that our efforts to improve our schools are at a
    critical turning point now. We here in the White House are committed to
    these national education goals. We've forged a real, working partnership
    with the Nation's Governors. And it is real; it's not just on paper. And
    we know real progress comes one school and one student at a time. And
    that's why we see the PTA as a key partner in making certain that
    America's children receive an education that's second to none.
        And once again, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the White
    House. And now I will sign the proclamation designating this National
    Parents and Teachers Association Week. And Congressman Kildee, if you'd
    join us here, too, sir, it would make it extra special. And the deed is
    done.
        Q. Mr. President, does Saddam's no-surrender statement mean there's
    no hope of avoiding a ground war?
        The President. He should have spent more time in the PTA. [Laughter]

                        Note: The President spoke at 1:16 p.m. in the
                            Roosevelt Room at the White House. In his
                            remarks, he referred to Representative Dale E.
                            Kildee; Ann Lynch, president of the National
                            Congress of Parents and Teachers; Ted Sanders,
                            Under Secretary of Education; Charles W. Stair,
                            president of the ServiceMaster Co.; television
                            cartoon character Bart Simpson; singer Paula
                            Abdul; and professional athlete Bo Jackson. The
                            proclamation is listed in Appendix E at the end
                            of this volume.