    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [May 6, 2002]
    [Pages 721-722]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters in Southfield, Michigan
    May 6, 2002

    Upcoming Meeting With Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel

        Q. [Inaudible]--that he absolutely has to talk to Yasser Arafat in
    order to get to peace negotiations?
        The President. You know, I'm going to have a private conversation
    with Ariel Sharon and would rather that my conversation--what I'm going
    to tell him and discuss with him be done, and he be the first to know
    about it----
        Q. Has he talked with you about the documents he has?
        The President. I talk to him all the time. But if you're asking
    about Chairman Arafat, I have been asked--if I
    have been asked once, I've been asked 20 times about him. He has
    disappointed me. He must lead. He must show the world that he believes
    in peace. And we have laid out conditions for all parties in order to
    achieve peace. All parties--Arab nations, Israel, Chairman Arafat, and
    the Palestinian party--must assume their responsibilities and lead.
        This is a series of discussions we're having with--not only with
    Prime Minister Sharon; as you know, King Abdullah is coming as well. It follows up on meetings I've had with
    the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as
    well as the King of Morocco. I will continue
    to have further meetings as we begin to bring--coalesce the world around
    a vision for peace.
        Q. But are the Israelis making it any more difficult by seeming to
    say that Arafat is not someone they can deal with at all?
        The President. Oh, I think they express disappointment in his
    ability to lead. I mean, after all, right before we had our security
    agreement done, a shipload of ammunition shows up and could probably be
    aimed at the Israeli citizens. So there's a high level of
    disappointment.
        But I haven't had a chance to talk with Prime Minister Sharon in
    recent days. I look forward to hearing what he has to say. Part of the
    goal of the United States is to lay out a vision for peace, which I have
    done, and then encourage people to assume their responsibility necessary
    to achieve the peace. And that's why it's so important, for example,
    that the Arab world be very much involved in a peace process, in
    discussions for--toward peace. And we are--I think we're making some
    progress, and I appreciate that.

    Burma's Release of Aung San Suu Kyi

        Q. Mr. President, what's your reaction to Myanmar's release of Aung
    San Suu Kyi?
        The President. Oh, I thought that was very positive, a good
    development.

    Education

        Q. Mr. President, this week you're talking about domestic issues.
    Are you afraid that people are losing their attention to those during
    the war?
        The President. No, Mike [Mike Allen, Washington Post], I think that
    people around America know how important public education is,
    particularly moms and dads and principals and teachers. Public education
    is on the minds of our citizens every day, because our citizens see
    public schools in their neighborhoods, and our citizens know how
    important public education is for the future.
        So I will spend as much time as necessary to herald success in our
    public

    [[Page 722]]

    schools and to remind people of the implementation plan that the
    Secretary of Education is selling,
    promoting around the country. We've got to get public schools right.
    We've got to make sure every child is educated. A lot of schools are
    making really good progress; some aren't. Those schools that aren't
    making good progress need to change.
        Yes, Martha [Martha Brant, Newsweek], last question.

    First Lady's Contributions to Education

        Q. Secretary Paige, as well as your wife, has been traveling around
    talking about education. I'm wondering if you could mention what you
    think her greatest contribution has been to your education policy?
        The President. You know, Laura's a former teacher--I guess you're
    never a former teacher; you're always a teacher. [Laughter] She's not in
    the classroom--and she understands the importance of teaching, teacher
    training, teacher recruitment. And one of the most significant
    contributions she has made and will continue to make is to remind young
    Americans--and old Americans, for that matter--that their talents and
    passion are needed in our classrooms. You know, she pushed the Troops
    for Teacher Initiative, and she's got a way about her that's pretty
    convincing. And I know she's going to convince a lot of Americans about
    the importance of being a teacher.
        Some school districts are short of teachers, and you've got to
    remind people--you know, one of my hopes is that as a result of the
    Nation taking an assessment of that which is important, that the idea of
    serving your community by being a teacher becomes more paramount in
    students' minds, and Laura certainly is going to herald that.
        The other thing, of course, is reading. There's nothing more
    fundamental to a good education system than making sure every child
    learns to read and that our schools use a curriculum that works. She's
    pretty good about that too. She's a great leader and a great advocate
    for literacy.
        Listen, thank you all. You're watching democracy--one of the core
    values of democracy is a free press. [Laughter]
        Q. Yes, and don't forget it.
        Q. How free are we?
        The President. You're very free--for how much we have to pay on a
    daily basis to buy your newspapers. [Laughter]

    Note: The exchange began at 11:23 a.m. during a tour of Vandenberg
    Elementary School. In his remarks, the President referred to Chairman
    Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority; King Abdullah II of Jordan;
    Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; King Mohamed VI of Morocco; and
    Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient who was released from
    house arrest on May 6. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of this exchange.