04/13/04 -- First lady Laura Bush told school board members at the NSBA Annual Conference March 29 that she and President Bush "appreciate your hard work to make sure no child is left behind in school or in life."
Bush devoted most of her speech to President Bush's main education initiative, the No Child Left Behind Act. Because of NCLB, she says, "every child has a better chance of achieving success in school. More children are learning through research-based programs. Parents have more information about their child's progress, and more teachers are receiving training and resources."
"At the time of Brown v. Board of Education, some people believed that black children didn't deserve to be in the same classroom with white children. The court said they did," Bush says. "Yet today, there are still people who believe that some children can't achieve high standards."
Bush says NCLB "is based on the premise that all children must have access to high-quality schools, regardless of their skin color, their disability, or their zip code."
According to Bush, behind all of the arguments against NCLB -- that there is not enough money, too much testing, and too rigorous standards -- "is the belief that some children cannot learn."
"As a former teacher and librarian," she says, "I just don't buy that argument. I see the promise of reform in America's schools. I see children excited and ready to learn. I see teachers and principals who refuse to accept failure, and school board members who are embracing reform to make our schools the best in the world."
Bush gave some examples of success stories due to NCLB. During the program's first year, she says students in large urban schools "made strong advancements in reading and math." And in California, English language learners have made large gains on a state assessment.
"We must test student progress," Bush says. "Too many students are moved through school even though they read and write far below their grade level. This isn't fair to students or to their teachers."
"We know that if children are not reading by the end of the third or fourth grade, their chances of learning to read well decrease every year," she says. "By the time they get to high school, they often drop out. NCLB ensures that we don't pass children from grade to grade without giving them the skills they need to succeed."
"Every one of us in this room want every child to receive an education that prepares them for a lifetime of learning and a lifetime of opportunity," Bush told the audience. "We understand the need for education reform. We know that local control must be preserved. We want teachers to be qualified in the subjects they teach. And we want our schools to be accountable for results."
"These are our common goals and our common dreams for our children," she says. "Let's reaffirm our stated purpose, to close the achievement gap, to ensure that every child learns, and to expand opportunity for all."