[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[August 28, 1999]
[Pages 1469-1470]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
August 28, 1999

    Good morning. This week students all over the country are getting 
ready for the first day of school. Like every year, parents will send 
their children off to school with new backpacks and fresh hopes that 
they'll get the world-class education they need and deserve. Today I 
want to talk about our continuing efforts to strengthen and renew our 
Nation's public schools by encouraging more choice, competition, and 
creativity.
    For more than 6\1/2\ years now, Secretary Riley and I and our whole administration have worked hard to 
raise standards, raise expectations, and raise accountability in every 
public school in America. I have advanced a comprehensive plan to 
strengthen and renew our Nation's schools and education agenda for the 
21st century--

[[Page 1470]]

from reducing class size to improving teacher quality, from modernizing 
and rebuilding thousands of schools to finishing the job of connecting 
every library and classroom to the Internet, from putting an end to 
social promotion to expanding after-school and summer school programs.
    We've also worked hard to promote the creativity, competition, and 
accountability that can turn around failing schools and make our good 
schools even better. That's the big reason I've encouraged States to 
pass charter school laws and urge communities all across our country to 
give charter schools a chance.
    Charter schools are innovative public schools started by educators, 
parents, and communities, open to students of every background or 
ability. But they're freer of redtape and top-down management than most 
of our schools are, and in return for greater flexibility, charter 
schools must set and meet the highest standards, and stay open only as 
long as they do.
    Also, charter schools don't divert taxpayer dollars from our public 
school system; instead, they use those dollars to promote excellence and 
competition within the system. And in so doing, they spur all our public 
schools to improve.
    I am proud of the progress we've made so far. When I was first 
elected President, there was only one charter school in the entire 
country. This year there will be more than 1,700 of them. We're well on 
our way to meeting my goal of establishing 3,000 charter schools 
nationwide in the first year of the new century.
    For an increasing number of families, charter schools are the right 
choice. In fact, there are now waiting lists at 7 out of 10 existing 
charter schools, as more parents realize that more innovation and 
creativity can produce good results for their children.
    Let me give you just one example. When Bowling Green Elementary 
School in Sacramento ranked third from the bottom in its district, 
parents and teachers decided they had to do something to take control 
and turn the situation around. So they set up a charter school there. 
Since becoming a charter school, Bowling Green has seen student 
performance soar, with greater gains in test scores than any other 
school in the school district.
    The charter school movement is a real grassroots revolution in 
education. We must do everything we can to support it. Today I am 
pleased to announce nearly $100 million in funding for charter schools 
all around America. These funds will help teachers and parents open new 
charter schools in 32 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
    They will help existing charter schools hire more well-trained 
teachers; buy more books, computers, and educational software; and 
ensure that classrooms are safe and accessible for all students. 
Finally, these funds will help charter schools develop accountability 
systems to measure whether they are meeting or exceeding State 
standards.
    Charter schools are living proof of what parents and teachers can do 
to reinvigorate public education. Investing in them means investing in 
accountability and excellence and a much better future for our children.
    But just as our children are returning to class, the Republican 
leadership's risky tax cut plan would undermine these investments by 
forcing deep and irresponsible cuts in education and other important 
national priorities. So, as Congress comes back to Washington, let's 
remind them what the creators and the students of America's charter 
schools already know: We're all accountable for our children's future, 
and an investment in it is our best investment in all our future.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Edgartown School in 
Martha's Vineyard, MA.