[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 19 (Monday, May 13, 2002)]
[Page 767]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at Clarke Street Elementary School in Milwaukee

May 8, 2002

    The President. I'd like to thank my friend Rod Paige, who is the 
Secretary of Education. Scott McCallum, your Governor--welcome to your 
Governor. I want to thank the teachers who are here. Thank you all for 
teaching.
    I'm here because this is a great school that believes every child 
can learn. It starts with a mindset that says every child can learn. 
That means there's high expectations, and there's a willingness to make 
sure every child is learning. I appreciate the curriculum you're using. 
We went--a reading program that we're quite familiar with in Texas--Rod 
and I are from Texas--and it's a program that works. You're using a 
curriculum that has been proven to work, and that's important. I want to 
thank the parents who are here. You've got a responsibility to make sure 
your children come to school polite, prepared, ready to learn. Make sure 
you encourage them to read more than they watch TV. I know that's a 
monumental task, but it's important. It's important to make sure every 
child learns to read. And parents have got a lot of responsibility to 
make sure their children learn to read.
    I want to thank the Boys and Girls Clubs that are involved here as 
well. I appreciate that. We're going to change America one heart and one 
soul and one conscience at a time. And the Boys and Girls Clubs are an 
integral part of providing help, particularly in after-school programs. 
And I want to thank you for being here.
    Okay, I've got some questions for you. Ready? How many of you are 
going to college?

[The students raised their hands.]

    The President. That's good news. See, that means you've set a goal. 
In order to meet that goal, you've got to really be good readers, and 
you've got to study and listen to your teachers.
    How many of you read more than you watch TV? [Laughter] With all due 
respect to the cameras, I hope you read more than you watch TV. You 
learn a lot more. It will help you get ready. See, if you raised your 
hand and said you wanted to go to college, in order to make sure you 
help achieve that goal, practice your reading. A good way to do it is to 
turn your TV sets off and practice.
    And finally, in order to go to college, to meet the goal you've set, 
make sure you make right choices. Tell them, ``no,'' when somebody tries 
to say drugs are cool or alcohol is good. Make the right choices. You'll 
be in college, and that's what we want.
    I'm so glad that we could come by to see you all. God bless you all, 
and thanks for letting me come by.

Note: The President spoke at 10:29 a.m. in the school's gymnasium. A 
tape was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.