    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [June 17, 1991]
    [Pages 682-684]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to Community Members in Grand Junction, Colorado
    June 17, 1991

        What a day. What a magnificent day. Thank you very, very much,
    Governor Romer, and all of you. Let me just say at the outset, I wish
    all of you--not all at the same time--but all of you could have been
    riding in that limousine from the airport. There is no way that I can
    begin to tell you how emotional Barbara and I felt about that warm
    welcome to this wonderful corner of God's Earth. You really made us feel
    at home. And you talk about patriotism and values--it's right here.
    Thank you very, very much.
        Let me first salute the Governor, about whom I'll have more to say
    in a minute, doing an absolutely sensational job chairing our National
    Education Goals Panel. I want to single out our leaders of the State
    legislature who are partners with the Governor in this effort. My
    friend, longtime friend, Ted Strickland, the president of the Colorado
    Senate; Chuck Berry, the speaker of the Colorado house; and all the
    other distinguished individuals on the steering committee for Colorado
    2000.
        And it's not just the big names. I just met with the leaders in this
    community who are leaders for revolutionary change in education. We had
    a fascinating seminar and I learned a lot from them. I salute your
    Congressman Ben Campbell, who's doing a great job for this district. Dr.
    Rosier, President Kieft, and others who--those are just two of the many
    that joined us for this panel I referred to. And, of course, to our
    outstanding Secretary of Education, Lamar Alexander. He is leading this
    country in a wonderful new direction.
        A word about your geography. On the way in I was struck by the
    majestic views of the Grand Mesa, that great big table that looks like
    just the kind of place where God might have done His homework or put
    down the palette He used to paint the sky. Some beauty. You are very,
    very lucky.
        And I thought, as we drove in, about the vast frontiers that lie out
    here. And some will say that America's frontiers have been fully
    explored, developed; some will even say lost. But one frontier knows no
    limits, needs constant development, and cannot be lost. And that's the
    frontier of the American mind, the unlimited vista of American
    imagination.
        As a people, our love of learning has guided every step of our
    progress. I love it when Barbara Bush, committed to literacy and
    education as she is, comes home and tells me these moving tales of how
    kids are trying to struggle against adversity to learn, how adults
    learning to read create a new dimension in their lives. And I might say,
    with some little husbandly pride, the Silver Fox is doing one heck of a
    job for education.
        The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 declared this: ``Knowledge, being
    necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and
    the means of education shall forever be encouraged.'' Now that same need
    to encourage education brings us together today, 204 years later. You
    can think of education as a competitiveness issue, or an economic
    issue--but above all, education in America is a moral imperative.
        Thomas Jefferson knew, and Eastern Europe recently reminded us, that
    the powers of any society rest ultimately with the people themselves.
    Education provides the grounding in ideas and values crucial to
    maintaining democracy and prosperity. It serves as our greatest source
    of social, economic, and yes, moral power.
        No domestic program has greater influence over our future. None
    attracts more attention or generates more passion on the part of our
    people. And none will have a higher priority with this President than

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    educational excellence. And that's why, together with all of the
    Nation's Governors and with dedicated citizens across the Nation, we set
    six ambitious national education goals for Americans of all ages. This
    wasn't a White House initiative, wasn't just by the Governors. It was a
    combined partnership in setting these education goals for the first time
    in our country's history.
        We cannot achieve these goals without declaring a revolution in
    American education. This revolution demands far more than revolving-
    charge, blank-check spending. It demands that every community raise
    expectations, accelerate accountability through parental choice, and
    reward results. And that's exactly what Grand Junction is doing in
    leadership in this great country of ours.
        Our America 2000 education strategy challenges all Americans to
    raise expectations, to pledge genuine accountability, and to create a
    new generation of American schools. It sets out to transform a nation at
    risk into a nation of students. It calls for cultivating communities
    where learning can and will happen.
        All of you here have been doing just that, and I congratulate you.
    You're part of a national crusade for reform--I should interject, a
    State crusade. And I'm so impressed with the connected television
    program that Governor Romer has just told us about. You're part of this
    national crusade which is a movement that takes different forms in
    different communities all across our nation, depending upon local needs
    and resources.
        Local businesses need a talented labor pool. Schools need guidance
    in developing programs and curricula. Every citizen needs to know that
    the kid standing on the street corner is going somewhere and isn't just
    another lost soul waiting to become a statistic, no one knowing his
    name.
        And we need you. We need every citizen to join this revolution for
    American education, whether it's the business executive who takes time
    out to visit a classroom; the older American who knows so much and has
    so much to share, tutoring kids at the local library; or especially the
    parent who takes a few extra minutes each night to read with a child.
        Every one of our national education goals relies on everyone in
    every community across this nation. And I'm confident that if Grand
    Junction is any example at all, we can achieve each and every one of
    these national goals.
        And that's so impressive--what's so impressive about what your State
    is doing, why I'm so pleased with Colorado 2000. Governor Romer's
    leadership in responding to my call for America 2000 communities has
    been outstanding. He's been way out front in a leadership role. And
    tonight, as you heard him say, virtually all of Colorado's 176 school
    districts will meet, connected by high technology, to adopt goals, set
    strategy, and yes, measure results. And that's just the kind of
    thoughtful, community-based action that we'll need to reinvigorate and
    transform America's schools. You see, we haven't just launched
    Washington, DC, 2000. It's America 2000. And what that means is Colorado
    2000, Grand Junction 2000.
        And I challenge every community in America to do what you are doing:
    to become an America 2000 community, to embrace the national education
    goals and accomplish them. Community involvement and community
    innovation will enable students of the future to set and meet world-
    class standards of achievement. But world-class standards begin here in
    the hearts and imaginations of people who care about education, who care
    about their kids, and who care about the future.
        About 150 miles from here, in a little town called Norwood,
    Colorado, a woman named Carolyn Sharp is doing what students of the past
    couldn't have dreamed possible. Seventy-four years old, she's too far
    away to get radio or TV broadcast. But now she gets satellite. She gets
    satellite-delivered programming through the Mind Extension University
    and does her learning long-distance. Seventy-four, and here's what she
    says: ``I'd already been boning up, doing some history research on my
    own, and I wanted to take a class.'' And now, by satellite, she's
    studying French, history, and physics. She's a great role model. And for
    my part, I've been trying to learn how to use a computer, and I'm going
    to keep on trying. I will not challenge any of the 12

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    kids in Nintendo, however.
        At its most fundamental, learning involves ambition and imagination.
    We Americans have never been known for a lack of imagination, and we've
    had set goals for education as ambitious as any that we've for the West,
    for space, or for any other American frontier.
        With the active support of people like you, I'm confident that we
    will meet these national goals and help our children toward the future
    that they deserve.
        May I thank you for your leadership and interest in educating not
    just the kids in Grand Junction, not just the kids in Colorado, but by
    example you are demonstrating an interest in helping kids all across the
    country.
        May God bless our young people. May God bless our teachers. And may
    God bless each and every one of you that's willing to take a leadership
    role in making America 2000 a fantastic education success.
        Thank you all, and God bless you.

                        Note: The President spoke at 12:18 p.m. in the Mesa
                            County Courthouse. In his remarks, he referred
                            to Gov. Roy Romer of Colorado; Ted Strickland
                            and Chuck Berry, Colorado State legislators;
                            Representative Ben Nighthorse Campbell; Paul W.
                            Rosier, superintendent of the Mesa County Valley
                            School District; Ray N. Kieft, president of Mesa
                            State College; and Secretary of Education Lamar
                            Alexander. Prior to his remarks, the President
                            attended a meeting of the Mesa County School
                            Board. Following his remarks, the President
                            traveled to Milwaukee, WI.