[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 41 (Monday, October 16, 2006)]
[Pages 1765-1766]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

October 7, 2006

    Good morning. In recent days, we have seen shocking acts of violence 
in schools across our Nation. Laura and I are praying for the victims 
and their families, and we extend our sympathies to them and to the 
communities that have been devastated by these attacks.
    I have asked Secretary of Education Spellings and Attorney General 
Gonzales to host a conference on school safety this Tuesday. We will 
bring together teachers, parents, students, administrators, law 
enforcement officials, and other experts to discuss the best ways to 
keep violence out of our schools. Our goal is clear: Children and 
teachers should never fear for their safety when they enter a classroom.
    As we work to keep our classrooms safe, we must also ensure that the 
children studying there get a good education. I believe every child can 
learn. So when I came to Washington, I worked with Republicans and 
Democrats to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, and I was proud to sign 
it into law. The theory behind this law is straightforward: We expect 
every school in America to teach every student to read, write, add, and 
subtract.
    We are measuring progress and giving parents the information they 
need to hold their schools accountable. Local schools remain under local 
control. The Federal Government is asking for demonstrated results in 
exchange for the money we send from Washington. Thanks to this good law, 
we are leaving behind the days when schools just shuffled children from 
grade to grade, whether they learned anything or not.
    Earlier this week, I visited the Department of Education, where I 
was briefed on our progress under the No Child Left Behind Act. The most 
recent national tests show encouraging results. In reading, 9-year-olds 
have made larger gains in the past 5 years than at any point in the 
previous 28 years. In math, 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds earned the 
highest scores in the history of the test. In both reading and math, 
African American and Hispanic students are scoring higher, and they are 
beginning to close the achievement gap with their white peers.
    The No Child Left Behind Act also gives parents more options. If 
your child's school consistently fails to show progress, you can get 
free, intensive tutoring for your child or transfer your child to a 
better public school. By shining a spotlight on schools that are not 
performing and offering parents and children a way out, the No Child 
Left Behind Act is ushering in a new era of accountability and choice. 
And this is putting America's children on the path to a better life.
    The No Child Left Behind Act has brought good progress, yet we still 
have a lot of work to do. So I will be talking more about education in 
the coming months, especially as we discuss the reauthorization of this 
law next year. I will focus on three areas where we can improve. First, 
we must improve teacher quality, so that every child has an excellent 
teacher. Second, we must give more options to parents whose children are 
trapped in struggling schools. And third, we need to bring the same high 
standards and accountability of the No Child Left Behind Act to our high 
schools, so that every high school graduate has the tools he or she 
needs to go to college and to get a good-paying job.
    When we set expectations high, America's children will rise to meet 
them. And by helping our children succeed, we're creating a brighter 
future for them and for our Nation.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on October 6 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 7. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
October 6 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office

[[Page 1766]]

of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.