    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 39 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
    [Pages 1253-1255]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on the No Child Left Behind Act in New York City

    September 26, 2007

        Good morning. Laura and I are really pleased to be here in New York
    City and really pleased to be able to be here with the mayor and the
    superintendent and our Secretary of Education. And particularly, we're
    pleased to be with the students and principals of--the principal and
    students of PS 76.
        These are hardworking students who are learning to read and write
    and add and subtract. And we had a chance to visit with them and learn
    about their dreams, and we really appreciate you all being here. It's
    exciting for us to be here.
        Last week, the school system here in New York City received the
    Broad Prize for Urban Education. This is one of the most prestigious
    education prizes in the country. The award is given every year to large
    urban school districts that have shown the greatest overall performance
    and improvement in student achievement, while narrowing the achievement
    gap amongst poor and minority students.
        In bestowing this recognition on New York City, the Broad Prize
    Committee highlighted the city's strong leadership. And that starts with
    Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The mayor is a no-nonsense guy who understands
    that if you set a goal, you expect to see results in achieving that
    goal. He knows how to ask tough questions, and he's pretty good about
    moving aside bureaucracy that will inhibit the people he has selected to
    achieve the goal. And the person he selected to be the

    [[Page 1254]]

    chancellor is Joel Klein, who really is one of the country's finest
    school superintendents.
        I appreciate both these men being here. And I want to congratulate
    you on this well-deserved honor.
        This city tackled the challenges of underperforming schools in such
    a way that it has become a model for urban schools. This achievement is
    a hopeful sign for other school districts across America. If New York
    City can do it, you can do it. And one of the things that's interesting
    about the prize and our ability to communicate with each other is that
    if people are truly interested in figuring out how New York City
    accomplished its objectives, they ought to e-mail the school district.
    They ought to look at the strategy. They ought to figure out what the
    mayor and superintendent have done to empower principals and teachers
    and parents. And teachers and parents and the principals and the
    students also deserve credit when it comes to recognizing this award.
        I also believe that part of the reason why New York City did well is
    because of the No Child Left Behind Act, which raises standards, insists
    upon accountability in the schools all across our country. The No Child
    Left Behind Act is working. I say that because the Nation's Report Card
    says it's working. Scores are improving, in some instances hitting
    alltime highs. Children across America are learning. The achievement gap
    that has long punished underprivileged students is beginning to close.
    And I'm going to spend a little time talking about that today.
        First, I do want to recognize the Secretary of Education, Margaret
    Spellings. I do want to recognize Louise Sedotto, who is the principal
    of PS 76. You know, one of the things that's interesting--I bet you Joel
    will tell you this--that when you find a school that is performing well,
    you find a principal who is willing to think outside the box and lead.
    And I appreciate you being here, Louise, and I congratulate you and your
    teachers. I bet you, when I ask your teachers, do they like you, they'll
    say, ``We not only like her; we love her.'' [Laughter]
        And I want to thank the students again who are here. And the reason
    I'm glad they're standing here is because all the old folks up here
    recognize that the future of our country depends on a high-quality
    education for our children. And that was the reason why people from both
    political parties came together in Washington to pass the No Child Left
    Behind Act.
        The law is based on this premise: The Federal Government invests
    money in education, and we ought to expect results in return for that
    investment. It's a pretty simple principle. If you're a taxpayer and
    you're spending your money, you want to make sure that money gets good
    results. And the best way to determine whether you get good results is
    to measure. Instead of just hoping for the best, we've asked States to
    set standards to hold schools accountable so that every child can read
    and do math at grade level.
        Measuring results is important because it helps teachers spot
    problems early. You can't solve a problem unless you diagnose the
    problem, and it's best to diagnose problems early in a child's life.
    Measuring results gives parents information. If you're interested in
    getting parents involved in your schools, just post your results up for
    people to read. It's amazing how it gets a parent's attention when the
    schools aren't meeting expectations.
        A system that doesn't hold people to account assumes that certain
    children cannot learn and that it's acceptable to shuffle them through
    school. Well, that's not acceptable in America, to shuffle children
    through school. That's what I have called the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. Through the No Child Left Behind Act, we have challenged
    that soft bigotry. And the Nation's Report Card shows we're making good
    progress.
        Here's how the Report Card works. More than 700,000 students from
    every State have been tested. They've been tested in math and reading,
    and here are the results. In math, the scores for fourth and eighth
    graders were higher than they've ever been. In reading, the scores for
    fourth graders were also the highest on record. The Nation's Report Card
    shows that some of the achievement gaps amongst African Americans and
    Hispanic students are narrowing. In the fourth grade reading, the
    achievement gap between white and African American students is at an
    alltime low. In the eighth grade math, the achievement gap between white
    and African American and white and Hispanic students

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    has narrowed since 2003. What all this means is, No Child Left Behind
    Act is working for all kinds of children in all kinds of schools in
    every part of the country.
        And so we've got to build on the progress. And that means Congress
    needs to reauthorize and strengthen the No Child Left Behind Act. The
    act is working; Congress needs to reauthorize it and make it better.
    Through this law, our Nation has made an historic commitment to
    America's children, and we have a moral obligation to keep that
    commitment. We must ensure that they have the skills they need to
    succeed in life, and in a global economy, that becomes even more
    important.
        As Congress considers reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind
    Act, I've offered several proposals to help strengthen it. And Secretary
    Spellings is going to be on Capitol Hill to explain why these proposals
    will make a good law even better. One, we can lift achievement--student
    achievement higher by giving local leaders more flexibility in the law
    as well as providing funding to turn around troubled schools. I believe
    student achievement will be enhanced when families with children stuck
    in low-performing schools have a opportunity to send their child to a
    better school.
        We should increase access to tutoring programs for students who
    struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need. If
    you measure and you find a problem, it's time to provide tutoring for
    those children so they can get up to speed. That's what happens here in
    New York City. The mayor and the superintendent and the principal say,
    ``When we find a problem, we're going to address that problem early.''
    And it's working.
        We should reward teachers who improve student achievement in low-
    income schools. When you find a good teacher willing to go into a school
    that needs help, that teacher ought to be given an additional incentive.
        We should make sure our children are prepared for the jobs of the
    future by expanding access to Advanced Placement courses and
    strengthening math and science education. As yesterday's positive Report
    Card shows, children do learn when standards are high and results are
    measured.
        And so my call to the Congress is, don't water down this good law.
    Don't go backwards when it comes to educational excellence. Don't roll
    back accountability. We've come too far to turn back. And so Congress
    needs to work with this administration to pass legislation that helps--
    gives our children the education they deserve.
        I don't think there's anything more important than the education of
    young people. I know that's how the mayor feels, and I know that's how
    the superintendent feels, and I know that's how Laura and Margaret feel.
    There's nothing more American than ensuring that all our children have
    the chance to realize their fullest potential and their highest dreams.
    And the improvement in New York City's public schools reminds us of what
    we can achieve when we set big goals and work hard to meet them.
        And so I'm proud to be here to congratulate the good folks of New
    York City. I want to thank all involved with making sure our children
    have the skills necessary to realize the great hope of America. God
    bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:29 a.m. at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. In
    his remarks, he referred to Joel I. Klein, chancellor, New York City
    Department of Education; and Louise Sedotto, principal, PS 076 The
    Bennington School. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a
    Spanish language transcript of these remarks.