[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 8 (Monday, February 26, 2001)]
[Pages 318-320]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at Moline Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri

February 20, 2001

    Sarah, thanks for those kind words. And Chris, thank you very much. 
Now, what you forgot to say is what I can say, and that is, I believe 
and know that a school succeeds when there is a dynamic principal in 
charge of the school. And that's the case here at Moline. I also know 
it's important to have a superintendent of schools who is willing to 
push the bounds of excellence, and that's what you have in your 
superintendent of schools.
    We're so honored that you would welcome us here. Laura and I are 
glad to be traveling to the great State of Missouri. I want to thank 
your senior Senator Kit Bond. I want to thank Congressman Clay. I want 
to thank Congressman Akin for your hospitality. And Governor, I'm so 
pleased you're here as well.
    We put out an invitation to all the Governors to join us next Sunday 
night at the White House for dinner, and the Governor has agreed to come 
and eat some ribs. I think it is--[laughter]--maybe not ribs, but--but I 
appreciate so very much you taking time to be here today.
    Boys and girls, thank you all, as well, for your hospitality. We had 
a chance to listen to some third graders read. They sound like sixth 
graders to us.
    Let me talk a little policy, if you don't mind. There's a time for 
politics in our society, and that ended a while ago. Now is the time for 
good public policy, and it starts with the universal goal of every child 
being educated in America. That sounds like anybody would say that, but 
to me, it's an achievable goal.
    There are some certain principles to which we need to adhere in 
order to meet that goal. First, setting the highest of high standards; 
understanding that all children can learn; not accepting excuses when 
certain children don't learn; not adhering to a system that shuffles 
children through because it's so much easier to quit as opposed to focus 
on a child-by-child basis. Good education starts with high standards, 
whether it be set by the President, the Governor, or the superintendent 
or the principal or the teacher in the classroom.
    Secondly, I strongly believe in what we call local control of 
schools. I believe it's critically important for those of us in the 
Federal Government to align authority and responsibility where it 
belongs, and that is at the local level. There's the old statement, 
``One size fits all''--doesn't work when it comes to educating children. 
I fully subscribe to that.
    You've got different issues, Governor, in the State of Missouri, 
than we had in the State of Texas. We have the same goals, the same 
objectives, the same heart, but you have a different set of problems. 
And therefore, it's incumbent upon us in the White House to work with 
Members of the Congress to pass Federal money back with as much 
flexibility as possible, to trust local people to set the course for 
excellence for all the children in the different school districts around 
the country.
    Thirdly, accountability is critically important for--to meet the 
goal that no child will be left behind. It is incredibly important to 
measure, because without measuring, how do you know if a child is 
learning to read and write and add and subtract? How do you know? It 
seems like it's a fundamentally fair question for those of us in public 
life to ask. We're spending money; we'd like to know in return whether 
or not children are learning.
    Now, I don't believe the Federal Government ought to design a test, 
Governor. I think you can design your own. You've certainly done so, at 
least in this school district;

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they've designed their own accountability system. It's an accountability 
system that's so impressive because it's not just a measurement on an 
annual basis, it's a frequent measurement to determine whether or not a 
specific child is learning. And if that child isn't, there's immediate 
help. When there's a problem diagnosed, help comes. That's what's so 
important about having accountability; it's the cornerstone for reform.
    I'm going to ask Congress to pass legislation that says that any 
school district which receives Federal money must design a test on an 
annual basis so that we know. It's the framework for addressing problems 
early, before it's too late. It says that consequences matter, but more 
importantly, if we set up the systems right, by disaggregating results, 
by treating each child as a person, not part of some overall group, we 
begin to have an education system that says each child matters, and 
we're going to track each child as he or she goes through the system. 
It's a critically important part of education reform.
    I believe we can do a better job of teaching children to read. One 
of the reasons we chose this school is not only because of the strong 
appetite for diagnosing children early and the willingness to cure 
problems before they become acute, but this is a school that focuses on 
a reading curriculum that works.
    I hope it's said that the Bush administration is willing to ask the 
question, ``What works?'' and then helps districts implement programs 
that do work. Phonics works. It's an important part of a good reading--
balanced reading curriculum. The reason I know is because I have asked 
the question to folks at the National Institute of Health. They're not 
Republicans; they're not Democrats; they're not--they are scientists, 
who have spent a lot of time figuring out how to make sure all children 
have the capacity to learn.
    And while there needs to be balanced reading curriculum, it is 
critically important for us to make sure the curriculum employed around 
the country is a curriculum that actually will achieve the results that 
we want, and that is children reading by the third grade.
    So I'm sending up to Congress a proposal called Reading First. It is 
a $5 billion program over 5 years. It will triple the amount of reading 
money available for local districts to access. It says that inherent in 
any good program is the need for districts to develop a K-through-two 
diagnostic tool; that is, a simple tool that will enable K-through-two 
teachers to determine who needs help early.
    There will be money involved in the reading program to help retrain 
teachers on how to teach a curriculum that works. One of the things that 
we must recognize in our society, Governor, is that sometimes our 
teacher colleges do not--are not able to match the hearts of teachers 
and give them the skills necessary to be effective teachers. There needs 
to be a lot of retraining, unfortunately. And until the teacher colleges 
get it right in terms of teaching curriculum that works, it seems like 
to me, a useful role for Government is to provide funds for teacher 
retraining. I'm not saying all teacher colleges fail. You would probably 
argue with me here that Missouri teacher colleges don't fail. But 
sometimes you find teachers in classrooms who have got all heart but 
lack the skills necessary to understand the science of reading. And it 
is incumbent upon us to match the heart and skills together.
    We need to make sure that our Head Start Programs not only fulfill 
the social functions and the health functions that they do today but 
that Head Start Programs become, first and foremost, a reading program 
to give the little guys the skills necessary to be able to come to these 
elementary schools prepared and ready to take advantage of the programs 
that these fine elementary schools, like this one, have got and offer 
for children.
    And finally, in order to make sure that a reading program works, 
there needs to be a strong emphasis on curriculum to help districts 
decide what curriculum to choose, what curriculum will work.
    I am absolutely convinced that we can do a better job of teaching 
all children to read, because I start with the thought that all children 
can learn to read. I refuse to accept systems, and refuse not to 
challenge systems, that give up on children early.
    I came from a State where there was a lot of children whose parents 
did not speak English as their first language. It was much easier to 
say, ``Gosh, these little kids are too difficult to educate. Let's just 
move them

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through.'' Those days are unacceptable. That frame of mind is not right 
for America, and we can do a better job. It starts with putting trust 
where it belongs.
    Madam Superintendent, I promise you, I know where the great 
educational entrepreneurship of America lay, and it lay right here, in 
districts such as this one, and schools such as this one. It's trust in 
local people--it starts with trusting local people to make the right 
decisions. It's a system that is--in its framework, encourages reform 
when reform is needed, and rewards excellence when excellence is found.
    And so I'm here, frankly, to call upon the citizens of this 
important State to help pass legislation that will not only focus on 
teaching every child to read but legislation that will have at its 
cornerstone, at its very core, a reform agenda based upon 
accountability, based upon measuring each child, based upon making sure 
that no child is left behind.
    America is a great land. It will be a greater land when every child 
is educated. The strength of our country is the public school system. 
That strength will be even stronger--even stronger--when we insist that 
every child be measured, every problem corrected, and every child 
challenged to be the best he or she can be. That can happen, and it is 
going to happen.
    It's an honor to be here. God bless you for what you do, and thank 
you for your hospitality. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 2:11 p.m. in Room 2. In his remarks, he 
referred to Principal Sarah Riss, Moline Elementary School; 
Superintendent Chris Wright, Riverview Gardens School District; and Gov. 
Bob Holden of Missouri.