    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [July 7, 2001]
    [Pages 831-832]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    July 7, 2001

        Good morning. My second working day as President, I sent to Congress
    the boldest plan to improve our public schools in a generation, a plan
    to raise educational standards for every child and to require new
    accountability from every school. This reform gives our public schools
    greater resources and insists on proven results in return, not just for
    some of our children but for all of them.
        The plan has now passed both Houses of Congress with strong margins
    and broad bipartisan support. We stand on the verge of dramatic
    improvements for America's public schools. We're increasing funding for
    public schools and insisting on results. We are maximizing local control
    to give Governors, school boards, and local people more say in their
    schools. And we are giving parents unprecedented new choices to help
    their children get a quality education.
        Yet, all of this will happen only when Congress joins with me to
    take the final, crucial step of resolving differences between the House
    and the Senate versions and sending an education reform bill to my desk.
        Across America, Governors are waiting to work with their
    legislatures to implement reform. Local school boards are eager to put
    the new flexibility my plan offers into action. We are ready to provide
    teachers with the best research on the science of reading this very
    fall. We need to act quickly, because States and schools must make
    decisions on how to use their new flexibility and live up to their new
    responsibility.
        We have come so far; we're almost there; and we must finish the job.
    Completing the work of education reform is a final exam for Congress
    before they go home in August for summer vacation and before America's
    children go back to school.
        The differences between the education reform bills that passed with
    large majorities in both House and Senate are small. Both bills call for
    strong accountability. The Senate bill gives States more flexibility.
    The House bill is more fiscally responsible and focuses Federal dollars
    where they will do the most good.
        With prompt action this month, our public schools can begin to
    implement the first of the education reforms this fall, with guidance to
    help teachers use the latest research to teach all our children to read.
        This is summer vacation for our children, and it can be a season of
    accomplishment for our Nation's leaders. I urge the Congress to act
    swiftly on my education reform plan.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 11:40 a.m. on July 5 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 7. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    July 6

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    but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.