    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [January 19, 2002]
    [Pages 87-88]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 19, 2002

        Good morning. On Monday, communities across America will celebrate
    the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Laura will visit Atlanta to commemorate the day in Dr. King's
    hometown. I will welcome Dr. King's family to the White House. This
    year's observance is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of
    Dr. King and honor the principles for which he lived and died.
        Americans can proudly say that we have overcome the
    institutionalized bigotry that Dr. King fought. Now our challenge is to
    make sure that every child has a fair chance to succeed in life. That is
    why education is the great civil rights issue of our time.
        So my administration worked with Republicans and Democrats to enact
    into law the most far-reaching educational reform in a generation. We
    are insisting on high standards for all our children. We're putting a
    new emphasis on reading as the first step toward achievement. We're
    offering teachers new training, and States and localities new
    flexibility. And we're going to measure and test how everyone is doing
    in our new accountability system, so we can get help to children before
    it is too late.
        We have a special obligation to disadvantaged children to close the
    achievement gap in our Nation. In my next budget, I will propose an
    increase of $1 billion for the Federal program that aids disadvantaged
    schoolchildren. That's on top of the 18 percent increase in last year's
    budget. In fact, Federal spending on Title I will increase just about as
    much in the first 2 years of my administration as it did in all the
    previous 8 years combined. I hope Congress will approve this request.
        At the same time as we fund Title I, we're giving extra help to
    children with special needs. The Federal program for special needs
    children was established by the law known as IDEA, the Individuals with
    Disabilities Education Act. My 2003 budget requests an additional $1
    billion for IDEA, as well, an important increase. But we want these new
    dollars to carry to special education the same spirit of reform and
    accountability we have brought to other education programs.
        This reform effort began Tuesday, when Education Secretary Rod
    Paige convened the first meeting of the
    new Presidential Commission on Excellence in Special Education. This
    distinguished and diverse group, chaired by former Iowa Governor Terry
    Branstad, has a clear mission, to propose
    reforms that will make special education an integral part of an
    education system that expects all children to reach their full
    potential.
        We must have high expectations for children who are more difficult
    to teach or who have fallen behind. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would
    accept no less than an equal concern for every child in America, and
    neither will my administration.
        Thank you for listening.

    [[Page 88]]

    Note: The address was recorded at 1:32 p.m. on January 18 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 19. In
    his remarks, the President referred to Title I of the Improving
    America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-382), which amended Title
    I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-
    10); and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Public Law 94-
    142). The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on January 18 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address. The Martin Luther King, Jr.,
    Federal Holiday proclamation of January 17 is listed in Appendix D at
    the end of this volume.