    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [June 26, 1999]
    [Pages 1024-1025]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 26, 1999

        Good morning. This month schools across America are letting out for
    the summer and beginning to plan for the fall. Today I'd like to talk
    about what we must do to help our schools prepare for the school year
    ahead and prepare our children for the future, by reducing class size in
    the early grades.
        For 6\1/2\ years, our administration has made improving our
    children's education one of our highest priorities. This year, in my
    State of the Union Address, I outlined a plan to help our schools, our
    teachers, and our students meet high standards. The plan would hold
    States and school systems accountable for fixing failing schools. It
    would require teachers to be qualified in the classroom in the courses
    they teach. It would insist that we put an end to social promotion but
    to do it in the right way, by investing in our children and in our
    schools, from funding after-school and summer school programs to
    modernizing and rebuilding 6,000 schools across our country to finishing
    up our commitment to hook all of our classrooms up to the Internet by
    next year.
        Reducing class size is one of the most important investments we can
    make in our children's future. Recent research confirms what parents
    have always known: Children learn better in small classes with good
    teachers, and kids who start out in smaller classes do better right
    through their high school graduation.
        But in far too many of our schools, 30 or more students are pressed
    desk to desk in a single classroom. Too many teachers have to spend more
    time maintaining order than maintaining high academic standards. And
    with the largest school enrollments in our history still to come, the
    problem is only going to get worse.
        Now, if we're serious about preparing our Nation to succeed in the
    21st century, we must do more to help all our children succeed in
    school. That's why last year I asked Congress to commit to reducing
    class size to 18 in the early grades. And with bipartisan support,
    Congress approved a big downpayment on my plan to put 100,000 well-
    prepared teachers in the classroom.
        I'm pleased to announce that later this week we'll deliver on our
    promise with $1.2 billion

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    in grants to help States and local school districts begin hiring the
    first 30,000 well-trained teachers for the new school year. That means
    by the time children go back to school this fall, communities in all 50
    States will have more good teachers and smaller classes in the early
    grades, where it matters most.
        Now we must finish the job. Unfortunately, there are some in
    Congress who are backing away from their commitment to reduce class
    size. Last year Congress came together across party lines to make this
    promise to the American people. They should come together again this
    year to keep it. I think a promise made in an election year should be
    kept in the years when there are no elections.
        So today, again, I call on Congress to put politics aside and put
    our children's future first and finish the job of hiring 100,000 highly
    trained teachers. We know smaller classes will help them succeed in
    school. We know higher quality teaching will help them succeed. We
    already have the plan to make it happen if Congress keeps its word.
        We've got a chance to use this time of prosperity to improve our
    children's education and to help them make the most of their lives. This
    isn't a partisan issue anywhere in America; it shouldn't be in
    Washington. Schoolchildren get the summer off, but we should make this
    summer a season of progress for our children, our schools, and our
    future in the new century.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 6:07 p.m. on June 25 in the Oval
    Office at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 26. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 25 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.