[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 35 (Monday, August 30, 2004)]
[Pages 1669-1670]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

August 21, 2004

    Good morning. In the coming weeks, children across our Nation will 
begin a new school year. They're looking forward to meeting new teachers 
and learning new subjects and making new friends. And thanks to good 
schools and good policies, we can all be confident this year will be a 
year of achievement for America's students and families.
    Two-and-a-half years ago, I signed the No Child Left Behind Act, a 
bipartisan law that is challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations 
in public education. My budget for next year increases school funding to 
$37 billion, a 49-percent increase since 2001. And we're insisting on 
results in return. We are leaving behind the broken system that shuffled 
children from grade to grade, even when they were not learning the 
basics. We're requiring regular testing, providing extra help for 
children falling behind. We're giving information and options to 
parents. We are holding schools accountable for the progress of every 
child.
    We are already seeing hopeful results. Math scores are up from 
fourth and eight grades across the country. Fourth graders in urban 
schools are showing strong gains in both reading and math. And from 
Georgia, North Carolina, and Maryland, to Illinois, Wisconsin, and New 
Mexico, minority children are improving test scores and narrowing the 
achievement gap.
    We recognize that some schools have catching up to do. That is why 
we are making extra resources available to the schools that need the 
most help. We are empowering parents, getting local education experts 
involved, and offering tutors to striving students. And to help the most 
disadvantaged students, we have boosted Title I funding to an 
unprecedented $12.3 billion, an increase of 41 percent since I took 
office.
    One Federal grant went to Asheville City Schools in North Carolina, 
the home district of Ira B. Jones Elementary School. Two years ago, 
Jones did not meet standards under the new law. So district leaders used 
more than $200,000 dollars in Federal aid to help Jones hire a reading 
coach, train additional teachers, increase parent involvement, and start 
an extended-day program for struggling students. This past school year, 
their efforts paid off. Jones met its target for yearly progress. This 
is how a fourth grade teacher described her reaction: ``We screamed and 
yelled. We were absolutely thrilled.''
    We want to see that kind of achievement at schools around the 
Nation, both in the primary grades and in our high schools. So I'll work 
with Congress to pass my proposals to help high school students 
struggling in reading and math. We will expand Advanced Placement 
programs at low-income schools. We will ensure that high schools offer a 
rigorous curriculum in English, math, science, and social studies, so we 
can be certain a high school diploma means something. We will expand the 
use of the Internet to bring high-level training to students around the 
country.
    These plans will build on the results we have seen these past 2 
years. The pattern is clear and encouraging. The No Child Left Behind 
Act is bringing progress and hope to America's students, parents, and 
educators. We are gaining momentum, and we will not turn back.
    By ensuring a quality education for every child, we meet an 
important duty to the next generation. We're giving young people the 
confidence and skills they need to succeed in higher education and to 
fill the jobs of the 21st century. Education is the gateway to a more 
hopeful future, and we will make sure that gate is open to all 
Americans.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 8:50 a.m. on August 20 at the Bush 
Ranch in Crawford, TX,

[[Page 1670]]

for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 21. The transcript was made 
available by the Office of the Press Secretary on August 20 but was 
embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.