[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 9 (Monday, March 6, 2000)]
[Pages 396-397]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

February 26, 2000

    Good morning. Last month, in my State of the Union Address, I called 
on Congress to help us launch a 21st century revolution in education, 
guided by our faith that every child can learn. This morning I'm 
announcing new steps to do just that--to provide tools for States and 
local communities to turn around their worst performing schools or shut 
them down.
    If our Nation is going to make the most of the promise of the new 
economy, we must help every American make the most of their God-given 
potential. But students can't aim high in schools that perform low. 
Every child deserves a high-quality education.
    Over the last 7 years we've followed a commonsense reform strategy: 
Invest more in our schools and demand more in return. I'm proud that our 
administration has enacted the largest investments in education in three 
decades, while, at the same time, working hard for higher standards, 
greater accountability, and extra help so that all children can meet 
those high standards.
    It's working. Across our Nation, reading and math scores are on the 
rise. But in spite of this progress, too many schools in our poorest 
neighborhoods still fail to offer a quality education, and too few of 
these failing schools ever get enough help to turn around.
    That's why I challenged Congress last year to pass my plan to 
establish a new school accountability fund to help States and local 
communities to fix failing schools. Together, we enacted a landmark 
initiative to provide $134 million to States and school districts this 
year alone. Today I'm releasing official guidelines to ensure that these 
funds are invested in what works.
    We're taking two unprecedented steps. First, under our plan 
districts and States will soon receive money dedicated entirely to 
turning around failing schools. This accountability fund will enable 
districts to take firm measures, putting in a tougher curriculum, 
helping teachers get the skills and training they need, and if 
necessary, closing down a failing school and reopening it under new 
management or as a public charter school.
    Second, my plan also expands public school choice. For the first 
time ever, we'll require that districts give students in a chronically 
failing school the option to transfer to a better performing public 
school.
    We know accountability works because that's what the experience of 
local communities tells us. Two years ago, for example, North Carolina 
drew up a list of the State's 15 worst performing schools and sent 
assistance teams to each school. Just a year later, reading and math 
scores shot up and 14 of those 15 schools improved their performance 
enough to be taken off the list. I've been to schools all over our 
country that are achieving in the very same way.
    Ultimately, of course, it's up to States and local communities to 
take the reins and turn around a failing school, but the Federal 
Government must play a key role by granting more flexibility, demanding 
more accountability, and investing more in education. With today's 
action, we're declaring as a nation that we will not fail our children 
by tolerating failing schools. We must do more.
    In our budget for the coming year, I'm doubling the size of the 
accountability fund to $250 million and doubling our support for after-
school and summer school programs, so that every child in a low 
performing school has the opportunity to participate. I ask Congress to 
do its part and make these vital investments.
    Again, I also ask Congress to pass my ``Education Accountability 
Act,'' which will make our schools even more focused on results. We must 
stay on track to hiring 100,000 high-quality teachers to reduce class 
size in the early grades. We must fulfill our commitment to build and 
modernize public schools. And we must invest in efforts to mentor 
disadvantaged students to help them understand that if they learn what 
they need to learn, they can all now go on to college.
    This entire strategy is rooted in fundamental values: Everyone 
counts; everyone deserves a chance; everyone has a role to play; and we 
all do better when we help each other.
    Fixing a failing school isn't easy, but communities are proving 
every day that it can be done. So we must continue to invest more

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and demand more. We owe it to our children and to our future.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 3:37 p.m. on February 25 in the Oval 
Office at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on February 26. 
The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on February 25 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.