[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 19 (Monday, May 13, 2002)]
[Pages 750-751]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 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.

[[Page 751]]

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.