    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 3, 2002]
    [Pages 544-546]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Ready To Learn Program
    April 3, 2002

        Thank you all. Thank you. Laura and I are honored to have you all
    here today, and thank you for coming. Some of you have been to the White
    House before, and I know we've got some first-time visitors here. For
    example, this will be the first time the Vowelles have ever been to the
    White House. [Laughter] Theo and Cleo Lion are also here to sing a song
    titled ``W Trouble.'' [Laughter] I don't know the song, but the theme is
    familiar. [Laughter] My mom often used to say, ``The trouble with W''--
    [laughter]--although she didn't put that to words.
        We're delighted that so many children can be a part of this special
    event here in the East Room. Thank you all for coming. It's so good to
    see you. It is wonderful to see children so young and so eager to learn,
    with so many fun opportunities to learn together. Every child is born
    with a love of learning--every child. We adults have a responsibility to
    give them every possible chance to learn and to start early.
        I appreciate the Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I want to
    thank all the good folks at PBS for coming. I appreciate your concern
    for our Nation's children. And as Laura said,
    we've been aware of your programming for a long time.
        I notice that we've got a larger-than-usual contingent of White
    House staff here today. I know they're not here to see me. [Laughter]
    They're here to see Mr. Rogers. [Laughter] When
    he comes to the White House, it's sure to be a beautiful day in the
    neighborhood. [Laughter] It is impossible for us to count the number of
    lives you have touched, but you have had a huge

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    impact on thousands and thousands of children. And there are thousands
    and thousands of parents and Americans who are grateful for your service
    to the country. In ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,'' every child is
    welcomed into the world of learning--not just a few, not just ones from
    certain neighborhoods, but every child.
        Our goal as a nation must be to make sure that no child is denied
    the chance to grow in knowledge and character from their very first
    years. Public Broadcasting System has excelled in carrying out that
    responsibility. Shows like ``Between the Lions'' bring a combination of
    charm, creativity, inclusiveness, and as importantly, proven teaching
    methods to the task of educating young children. And these shows are
    being used in Head Start and day care centers to encourage early
    learning. The Ready To Learn program helps make all these shows
    possible, and my administration is proud to support it.
        America is making great progress in education reform. We're
    providing higher levels of support for our schools, higher standards for
    performance in the classrooms. We're giving teachers the resources and
    training necessary for their mission. We're respecting local control of
    our schools and respect the authority of parents, so that moms and dads
    have greater say in how their children are educated.
        Under the bipartisan reforms we passed into law, all students in
    America have a better chance to learn and excel and to live out their
    dreams. Yet, as we prepare our schools to teach, we must prepare our
    children to learn. As we raise educational standards, which we must do,
    each of our children needs an equal opportunity to meet those standards.
        And creating that opportunity must begin early, even before school
    starts. On the first day of school, children need to know letters and
    numbers. They need a strong vocabulary, and they need to love books.
    These are the building blocks of learning, and this Nation must provide
    them.
        Early learning is a priority for my Government. By implementing a
    new accountability system, we'll make sure every Head Start center is
    providing early learning in the best way possible. Starting this summer,
    we will train Head Start teachers in proven methods to encourage early
    reading and language skills. And the Federal Government will work with
    States to promote early learning programs.
        More than anyone else, parents need to be involved. Laura has begun an important effort to get new parents the
    information they need to start their sons and daughters on the path to
    learning. And we're so proud to be working with PBS and a host of other
    organizations to get this information out more broadly.
        Reading to your children is a joy. We believe it's a responsibility.
    Parents are the first teachers in their children's lives, and they can
    also be the best.
        I thank all the parents in this room for what you do and for the
    important example you set. I want to thank the teachers who are here for
    devoting yourselves to one of the great callings in life. I want to
    thank the broadcasters and others who play such an important part in the
    life of our country.
        Again, welcome to the White House. May God bless the Nation's
    children. And may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:23 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to PBS television characters the
    Vowelles and Theo and Cleo Lion from the program ``Between the Lions'';
    and Fred Rogers, creator, writer, and host of the PBS television series
    ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.''

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