[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[January 8, 2009]
[Pages 1522-1528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on the No Child Left Behind Act in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
January 8, 2009

    The President. Thank you for the warm welcome. And Laura and I are thrilled to be here at Kearny School. We have 
come because this is one of the really fine schools in the city of 
Philadelphia. We bring greetings from the Nation's Capital, but more 
importantly, we bring appreciation for those who are working so hard to 
make sure that every child can learn.
    You know, 7 years ago today, I had the honor of signing a bill that 
forever changed America's school systems. It was called the No Child 
Left Behind Act. I firmly believe that thanks to this law, more students 
are learning, an achievement gap is closing. And on this anniversary, I 
have come to talk about why we need to keep the law strong. If you find 
a piece of legislation that is working, it is important to make sure the 
underpinnings of that law remain strong.
    I do want to thank Laura for joining me. She 
has been an awesome wife and a great First Lady. Our journey together in 
Washington has been fantastic, and I thank her very much for her love.
    I am proud to be here with Arlene Ackerman. Thank you for your introduction, Arlene, and thank you 
for being--[applause]. Arlene is a reform-minded leader. And by that, I 
mean you have a superintendent here who is willing to challenge the 
status quo if the status quo is unacceptable. Sometimes that's hard in 
public life. You see the status quo, and people are saying, ``Oh, let's 
just leave it the way it is, it's too hard to change.'' And you have a 
superintendent here that says, ``If we're finding failure, we're going 
to change.'' And

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I want to thank you for taking on this important assignment.
    I'm proud to be here with my buddy. I 
guess it's okay to call the Secretary of Education your buddy; that 
means friend. And she has been our friend for a long time. She is a 
great Secretary of Education. And, Margaret, I want to thank you for 
being here.
    I want to thank the senior Senator--I 
guess it's okay to call you senior--Arlen Specter. He is a good friend, 
and he cares a lot about the State of Pennsylvania and the education 
systems in the State. So thank you for coming, my friend.
    Jerry Zahorchak is with us, the 
Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary. Jerry, thank you for 
being here, and thank you for serving.
    I want to thank all the State and local officials; particularly, the 
State representative from this district has kindly come by to say hello 
and participate in a roundtable we just had.
    Roy Romer, former Governor of Colorado, and 
an education reformer, has just spoken, and I want to thank Roy. He 
happens to be the chairman of Strong American Schools. It's got a nice 
ring to it, doesn't it? Strong American Schools. That means schools that 
actually teach people how to read, write, and add and subtract. At least 
that's my definition of strong American schools.
    I want to thank very much the Reverend Al Sharpton. Now, some of you are probably about to fall out of 
your chair--[laughter]--when you know that Al and I have found common 
ground. And by the way, it's on an important issue. See, he cares just 
as much as I care about making sure every child learns to read, write, 
and add and subtract. And I want to thank you for your leadership on 
this issue, and I appreciate you being here.
    I want to thank the teachers who work here. I particularly want to 
thank Principal Spagnola for her leadership. 
And the thing about educators, first of all, every good school has got a 
principal who is a good principal. That's generally the key ingredient 
to success, somebody who can set high standards and motivate. And this 
principal can do just that.
    And for the teachers, thank you for taking on a noble profession. 
Laura and I are proud to report that one of our 
daughters is a teacher, and it makes us feel just 
incredibly great to know that we've raised a child who is willing to 
take on an important task of teaching a child to be able to have the 
skills necessary to succeed in life.
    There are a lot of reformers here, and I welcome the reformers. 
These are people from society who say, ``I want to help the school 
system succeed.'' When I got off Air Force One today, I met Adam 
Bruckner. I mentioned to some kids, ``Have you 
ever heard of Adam Bruckner?'' And they said, ``You're talking about Mr. 
Adam.'' I said, ``That's who I'm talking about.'' He is volunteer; he's 
a mentor. He happens to be a professional soccer coach, which means he 
knows how to play soccer, and he is willing to lend his skills and, more 
importantly, his heart, to teach a child the beauty of being a sports 
person and the lessons of life that come from good competition.
    And so I want to thank you very much, Adam, for being here and representing all the folks who 
volunteer at this program.
    At the end of the Presidency, you get to do a lot of lasts. I don't 
know if you saw on TV, but I pardoned my last Thanksgiving turkey. 
[Laughter] This is my last policy speech. As President of the United 
States, this is the last policy address I will give. What makes it 
interesting is that it's the same subject of my first policy address as 
President of the United States, which is education and education reform.
    I hope you can tell that education is dear to my heart. I care a lot 
about whether or not our children can learn to read, write, and add and 
subtract. When I was a Governor of Texas, I didn't like it one bit when

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I'd go to schools in my State and realize that children were not 
learning so they could realize their God-given potential. I didn't like 
it because I knew the future of our society depended upon a good, sound 
education.
    I was sharing this story with people that Laura and I just met with, and at the time I went to a high 
school in my State, one of our big city high schools. And I said, ``Man, 
thanks for teaching.'' I met this teacher. I think his name is 
Brown, if I'm not mistaken----
    Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Nelson Brown.
    The President. ----Nelson Brown--and he 
taught geography and history, if I'm not mistaken. I said, ``How is it 
going, Mr. Brown?'' He said, ``It's going lousy.'' I said, ``Why?'' He 
said, ``Because my kids cannot read, and they're in high school.'' You 
see, the system was just satisfied with just shuffling kids through: If 
you're 14, you're supposed to be here; if you're 16, you're supposed to 
be there. Rarely was the question asked: Can you read? Or can you write? 
Or can you add and can you subtract?
    And so we decided to do something about it. We said such a system is 
unacceptable to the future of our State. And that's the spirit we 
brought to Washington, DC. It's unacceptable to our country that 
vulnerable children slip through the cracks. And by the way, guess who 
generally those children are? They happen to be inner-city kids, or 
children whose parents don't speak English as a first language. They're 
the easiest children to forget about.
    We saw a culture of low expectations. You know what happens when you 
have low expectations? You get lousy results. And when you get lousy 
results, you have people who say, ``There's no future for me in this 
country.''
    And so we decided to do something about it. We accepted the 
responsibility of the office to which I had been elected. It starts with 
this concept: Every child can learn. We believe that it is important to 
have a high quality education if you're--one is going to succeed in the 
21st century. It's no longer acceptable to be cranking people out of the 
school system and saying, ``Okay, just go--you know, you can make a 
living just through manual labor alone.'' That's going to happen for 
some, but it's not the future of America, if we want to be a competitive 
nation as we head into the 21st century.
    We believe that every child has dignity and worth. But it wasn't 
just me who believed that. Fortunately, when we got to Washington, a lot 
of other people believed it, Democrats and Republicans. I know there's a 
lot of talk about how Washington is divided, and it has been at times, 
at times. And it can get awfully ugly in Washington. But nevertheless, 
if you look at the history over the past 8 years, there have been 
moments where we have come together. And the No Child Left Behind Act is 
one such moment.
    It gives me a chance now to thank Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, Senator Gregg 
of New Hampshire, Congressman Miller of 
California, Congressman Boehner of Ohio, 
Republicans and Democrats who worked together to get this piece of 
legislation passed. I believe that in signing that bill we enacted the 
most sweeping education reforms in a long, long time.
    The philosophy behind the law is pretty straightforward: Local 
schools remain under local control. In exchange for Federal dollars, 
however, we expect results. We're spending money on schools, and 
shouldn't we determine whether or not the money we're spending is 
yielding the results society expects?
    So States set standards. One reason this school makes sense is 
because you have a principal who sets high standards, keeps that bar 
high. And we hold schools accountable for meeting the standards. There--
we set an historic goal that--and that is to--every child should learn 
to read and do math at grade level by 2014.

[[Page 1525]]

    The key to measuring is to test. And by the way, I've heard every 
excuse in the book why we should not test: ``Oh, there's too many tests; 
you teach the test; testing is intrusive; testing is not the role of 
government.'' How can you possibly determine whether a child can read at 
grade level if you don't test? And for those who claim we're teaching 
the test, uh-uh. We're teaching a child to read so he or she can pass 
the test.
    Testing is important to solve problems. You can't solve them unless 
you diagnose the problem in the first place. Testing is important to 
make sure children don't slip too far behind. The facts are, if you get 
too far behind in reading, for example, it's nearly impossible to catch 
up. That's why it's important to test early.
    Measuring results allows us to focus resources on children who need 
extra help. And measuring gives parents something to compare other 
schools with. You oftentimes hear, ``Oh, gosh, I wish parents were more 
involved.'' Well, one way to get parental involvement is to post 
results. Nothing will get a parent's attention more than if he or she 
sees that the school her child goes to isn't performing as well as the 
school around the corner.
    Measurement is essential to success. When schools fall short of 
standards year after year, something has to happen. In other words, 
there has to be a consequence in order for there to be effective 
reforms. And one such thing that can happen is parents can enroll their 
children in another school. It's--to me, measurement is the gateway to 
true reform, and measurement is the best way to ensure parental 
involvement.
    By the way, school choice was only open to rich people up until No 
Child Left Behind. It's hard for a lot of parents to be able to afford 
to go to any other kind of school but their neighborhood school. And 
now, under this system, if your public school is failing, you'll have 
the option of transferring to another public school or charter school. 
And it's--I view that as liberation; I view that as empowerment.
    There's been a lot of debates about the requirements of No Child 
Left Behind. No question, a piece of legislation like this encourages 
debate, and that's fine. That's part of the democratic process. But 
there is no debate about the results: the first time all 50 States and 
the District of Columbia have accountability plans in place. The data is 
being disaggregated. That means that we--instead of just lumping all 
children together and say, ``Oh, isn't everything beautiful,'' we 
actually break each child out to determine whether or not he or she is 
getting the kind of education parents and society expects. And that's an 
important reform.
    Instead of looking the other way when students are falling behind, 
policymakers at all levels are now beginning to be focused on how to 
close the achievement gap. Achievement gap is--it means this: White 
students are reading here, and African American students are reading 
here, and Latino students are reading down here. And that is 
unacceptable for the United States of America.
    In the classroom, students are learning from highly qualified 
teachers. In other words, that's part of the reforms of encouraged--the 
focus on highly qualified teachers. Schools have adopted research-proven 
strategies for reading instruction. There's a lot of debate, if you 
follow the public education debates closely, that there's a lot of 
debate about what's the best kind of reading program as to how to best 
teach a child to read. Well, when you measure, it helps you determine 
which system works the best. The principal was describing to us, we're 
always adjusting and looking to make sure our education is--fits each 
individual child. In other words, she's constantly analyzing her 
instruction strategies, and a measurement system allows you to do so.
    There's a new Teacher Incentive Fund in place, as a result of No 
Child Left Behind reforms, and a city like Philadelphia

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are rewarding educators for taking jobs in this city's toughest 
classrooms, and those who are achieving results. In other words, there's 
an incentive to make sure good teachers get in the classrooms all 
throughout the city. And by the way, this is happening all across our 
country.
    You know, I mentioned disclosure. More and more districts are 
producing annual report cards, and that's really important. And I did 
mention to you what they call supplemental services. Under the No Child 
Left Behind Act, when you find a disadvantaged child falling behind 
where he or she should be, there's extra money for tutoring. And across 
the country there's now about a half a million students benefiting from 
the tutoring that comes from No Child Left Behind. It makes sense, 
doesn't it? It says we're going to measure, and if we determine you need 
extra help, here's some money to help you so that you don't fall behind, 
so that you catch up.
    The number of charter schools, by the way, has more than doubled 
over the past 7 years. Charter schools provide good outlets. And I met 
the head of the--president of the charter 
school association here in Philadelphia. He said 10 years ago there were 
four, and today there are--yes, a lot. [Laughter] When you get over 60, 
it's hard to hear. [Laughter]
    The most important result of the No Child Left Behind is this: Fewer 
students are falling behind; more students are achieving high standards. 
We have what's called the Nation's Report Card. For those who wonder 
whether or not we should strengthen No Child Left Behind, I want you to 
hear this: fourth graders earned the highest reading and math scores in 
the history of the test. Minority and disadvantaged students made some 
of the largest gains, with African Americans and Hispanics posting 
alltime highs in several categories.
    No Child Left Behind is working for all kinds of students in all 
kinds of schools in every part of the country. That is a fact. There's 
still a long way to go, however. Secretary Spellings has worked hard to 
give schools tools and flexibility. She issued new regulations that will 
reward schools for progress students make from year to year. She helps 
to provide programs that provide a clear graduation rate. And one of the 
problems we've had, of course, is getting enough information out in a 
timely fashion to empower parents to be able to make wise decisions 
about the future of their children. And she has worked steadily to make 
sure that information gets to parents in a timely fashion.
    Obviously, there's--a piece of legislation like this takes 
compromise. But there is no compromise to the basic premise of No Child 
Left Behind, and that is we need to measure on a clear set of goals. We 
need a few goals that have got maximum impact, and we need to know 
whether or not those goals are being met. People say, ``Can you possibly 
meet the goal you set?'' And the answer is, absolutely can we meet the 
goals that we've set. And not only is it absolutely--confident we can 
meet it, I know it is necessary that we do meet those goals.
    Laura and I have been privileged to travel to 
schools over the past 8 years such as this, and you'd be amazed at what 
we get to see. We get to see hard-working, decent citizens who dedicate 
their lives to making sure no child is left behind. And we have seen 
innovators who are willing to try different approaches to achieve the 
same result. So we went to Harlem to see a school district there. They 
attend school for 10 hours a day. So the educators, taking advantage of 
local control, said, ``What does it require to make sure that we meet 
high standards?'' In this case, the educators said, ``Well, we need to 
have school 10 hours a day.'' The teachers give parents their cell phone 
numbers, so that they can be called anytime. And as the teachers told 
us, they do get called anytime--[laughter]--to help solve problems. I 
was just thankful that there weren't cell phones when I was going to 
elementary school. [Laughter]

[[Page 1527]]

    I have seen the resolve for reform and the belief in high standards 
in Chicago, where reading and math scores are soaring, and where every 
child still has time to study a foreign language and the fine arts. The 
school in Chicago we went to, like other schools across the city, have 
benefited from the vision and leadership of a person named Arne 
Duncan, and he is going to be the next Secretary 
of Education. And we are fortunate he has agreed to take on this 
position. And we wish him all the very best.
    Laura and I will never forget the resolve 
that we saw in New Orleans after Katrina, and the determination by 
principals and teachers to get their schools up and running. And they 
did. And by the way, they have placed innovation at the center of a 
rebuilding school system. They believe in high standards and 
accountability to make sure that out of the rubble of Katrina comes a 
world-class education system.
    And we've seen the resolve here at Kearny. That's why we're here. 
Every year--we met a mom, who told us her twins now come to this school. 
You know, it's interesting what happens when you post scores. Nobody 
cares more about a child's education, obviously, than the first teacher 
a child has, which is a parent. And this notion about how parents really 
don't seem to care, they care, believe me. And when there's transparency 
in the system it helps them make informed choices. And so mom was saying 
her twins come here. She also said, by the way, they weren't really 
reading up to snuff initially, and yet they got extra help. And now 
guess what? They're reading up to snuff. Kearny School works.
    They commute for miles. Some of the families commute for miles 
because they understand it's a place of excellence. This is a school 
where a lot of community and faith-based groups come to help. And that 
is really great of you to do that. And by the way, it happens in other 
schools too. And if you're interested in how you can serve America, why 
don't you volunteer in your local school? If you want to be a member of 
the army of compassion in America, help your schools. Help your schools 
help each child realize their God-given potential.
    I believe that it is going to be important for our citizens to take 
a hard look at No Child Left Behind, and listen to the facts of No Child 
Left Behind, and then say with clear voice, for the sake of our 
children's future, this good law needs to be strengthened and 
reauthorized by the United States Congress.
    There is a growing consensus across the country that now is not the 
time to water down standards or to roll back accountability. There is a 
growing consensus that includes leaders of the business communities 
across America who see an increasingly global economy and, therefore, 
believe in standards and accountability. There's a growing consensus 
amongst leaders of civil rights organizations, like La Raza, and the 
Urban League, and the Education Equality Project. These leaders refuse 
to accept what I have called the soft bigotry of low expectations. 
There's a growing consensus includes a lot of parents, and 
superintendents, and mayors, and Governors who insist that we put our 
children first.
    And so I've come to herald the success of a good piece of 
legislation. I have come to talk to our citizens about the results this 
reform has yielded. And I call upon those who can determine the fate of 
No Child Left Behind in the future to stay strong in the face of 
criticism, to not weaken the law--because in weakening the law, you 
weaken the chance for a child to succeed in America--but to strengthen 
the law for the sake of every child.
    Thank you for letting us come by for the last policy address that we 
have been honored to make. God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:19 a.m. at General Philip Kearny School. 
In his remarks, he referred to Arlene C. Ackerman,

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superintendent, School District of Philadelphia; political activist Rev. 
Alfred C. Sharpton, Jr.; Eileen Spagnola, principal, General Philip 
Kearny School; Adam Bruckner, assistant coach, Major Indoor Soccer 
League's Philadelphia Kixx; and Lawrence Jones, president, Pennsylvania 
Coalition for Charter School.