[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.