    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [October 7, 2006]
    [Pages 1793-1794]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    October 7, 2006

        Good morning. In recent days, we have seen shocking acts of violence
    in schools across our Nation. Laura and I are
    praying for the victims and their families, and we extend our sympathies
    to them and to the communities that have been devastated by these
    attacks.
        I have asked Secretary of Education Spellings and Attorney General Gonzales to host a conference on school safety this Tuesday. We
    will bring together teachers, parents, students, administrators, law
    enforcement officials, and other experts to discuss the best ways to
    keep violence out of our schools. Our goal is clear: Children and
    teachers should never fear for their safety when they enter a classroom.
        As we work to keep our classrooms safe, we must also ensure that the
    children studying there get a good education. I believe every child can
    learn. So when I came to Washington, I worked with Republicans and
    Democrats to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, and I was proud to sign
    it into law. The theory behind this law is straightforward: We expect
    every school in America to teach every student to read, write, add, and
    subtract.
        We are measuring progress and giving parents the information they
    need to hold their schools accountable. Local schools remain under local
    control. The Federal Government is asking for demonstrated results in
    exchange for the money we send from Washington. Thanks to this good law,
    we are leaving behind the days when schools just shuffled children from
    grade to grade, whether they learned anything or not.
        Earlier this week, I visited the Department of Education, where I
    was briefed on our progress under the No Child Left Behind Act. The most
    recent national tests show encouraging results. In reading, 9-year-olds
    have made larger gains in the past 5 years than at any point in the
    previous 28 years. In math, 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds earned the
    highest scores in the history of the test. In both reading and math,
    African American and Hispanic students are scoring higher, and they are
    beginning to close the achievement gap with their white peers.
        The No Child Left Behind Act also gives parents more options. If
    your child's school consistently fails to show progress, you can get
    free, intensive tutoring for your child or transfer your child to a
    better public school. By shining a spotlight on schools that are not
    performing and offering parents and children a way out, the No Child
    Left Behind Act is ushering in a new era of accountability and choice.
    And this is putting America's children on the path to a better life.
        The No Child Left Behind Act has brought good progress, yet we still
    have a lot of work to do. So I will be talking more about education in
    the coming months, especially as we discuss the reauthorization of this
    law next year. I will focus on three areas where we can improve. First,
    we must improve teacher quality, so that every child has an excellent
    teacher. Second, we must give more options to parents whose children are
    trapped in struggling schools. And third, we need to bring the same high
    standards and accountability of the No Child Left Behind Act to our high
    schools, so that every high school graduate has the tools he or she
    needs to go to college and to get a good-paying job.
        When we set expectations high, America's children will rise to meet
    them. And by helping our children succeed, we're creating a brighter
    future for them and for our Nation.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on October 6 in the Cabinet
    Room at the

    [[Page 1794]]

    White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 7. The transcript was
    made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on October 6 but was
    embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.