[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 41 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[Page 1318]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting on the No Child Left Behind Act 
Reauthorization

October 9, 2007

    Secretary Spellings and I are so pleased to welcome you all to the 
Roosevelt Room. With us today are a group of concerned citizens from a 
variety of groups, here to discuss the No Child Left Behind Act. People 
around this table care deeply about making sure every child gets a good 
education. We're deeply concerned about school systems that don't focus 
on each individual. Some school systems are just moving kids through, 
and as a result, our education system is letting too many children down, 
too many families without hope. So we're going to strategize and work 
together to make sure the No Child Left Behind Act is reauthorized and 
made stronger.
    And so I want to thank you all for coming. I love your passion. I 
appreciate the fact that you care deeply about the future of this 
country and that you believe, like I believe, every child can learn, and 
we have an obligation to teach every child how to read and write and add 
and subtract.
    So thank you for joining us. We'll see you all in the Rose Garden 
here in a minute.

Note: The President spoke at 1:06 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Education 
Margaret Spellings. Also participating in the meeting were the First 
Lady; John C. Brittain, chief counsel and senior deputy director, 
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Roslyn McCallister Brock, 
vice chairman, National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
People National Board of Directors; Michael Casserly, executive 
director, Council of the Great City Schools; Wade Henderson, president 
and chief executive officer, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; 
Lawrence Hernandez, founder, chief executive officer, and principal, 
Cesar Chavez Academy, Pueblo, CO; Marc H. Morial, president and chief 
executive officer, National Urban League; Janet Murguia, president and 
chief executive officer, National Council of La Raza; Dianne Pich, 
executive director, Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights; Sonia 
Rodriguez, chairperson, Coalition for Access to Educational Resources; 
Ricki Sabia, associate director, National Down Syndrome Society Policy 
Center; Amy Wilkins, vice president for government affairs and 
communications, The Education Trust; and Peter Zamora, cochair, Hispanic 
Education Coalition.