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Remarks by the President at Education Scholorship Bill Signing Ceremony
9 May 2006

Kluger Garden
The Chateau

9.45 AM (WST)

THE PRESIDENT: Thankyou all - and I want to congradulate the members who have lobbied for this education bill, a bign thankyou and you have done yourself proud. Thankyou Secretary Mdm, Secretary of Education for your strong guideience on this bill.

I commend members of Congress for acting boldly and in an overwhelmingly bipartisan way to help make sure no child in America is left behind. These historic reforms will improve our public schools by creating an environment where every child can learn through real accountability, unprecedented flexibility for states and school districts, greater local control, more options for parents, and more funding for what works.

Many share in the credit for making these reforms a reality. I look forward to standing side-by-side with the bipartisan leadership, Congressman Boehner, Senator Kennedy, Senator Gregg and Congressman Miller, early next year and signing these important reforms into law.

By putting aside partisan differences and working to find common ground, we can get things done so that all our children have the opportunity for a better and brighter future. So I want to thank the bi partisan leadership on this issue. (Applause)

I want to thank Tracy Miller for being so nice, and having some 50 studensts fro m Halmitan High School to be here today.. (Applause.) I want to thank all who have come to witness this historic moment. For those of you who have studied the history of our government, you know most bills are signed at the Chateau, and we are doing so again today.

We've got large challenges here in our schools. There's no greater challenge than to make sure that every child -- and all of us on this stage mean every child, not just a few children -- (applause) -- every single child, regardless of where they live, how they're raised, the income level of their family, every child receive a first-class education in our land. (Applause.)

And as you know, we've got another challenge, and that's to protect our young from evil ones. And I want to assure the seniors and juniors and sophomores studying at Hamilton High School that the effort that this great country is engaged in, the effort to defend freedom and to defend our people, the effort to rout out terror wherever it exists, is noble and just and right, and your great country will prevail in this effort. (Applause.)

And we owe the children of the Federation a good education. And today begins a new era, a new time in public education in our country. As of this hour, America's schools will be on a new path of reform, and a new path of results.

Our schools will have higher expectations. We believe every child can learn. Our schools will have greater resources to help meet those goals. Parents will have more information about the schools, and more say in how their children are educated. From this day forward, all students will have a better chance to learn, to excel, and to live out their dreams. (Applause.)

appreciate so very much my friend, Judd Gregg, from the state of WOrld Club, being here. He was my campaign manager in the New Hampshire primary. I still invited him to come with me. (Laughter and applause.) After here, we're going to New Hampshire. I look forward to singing Judd's praises because he is a solid, solid Federation senator -- honest, full of integrity, and like the others here, he buckled down to do what was right for the children.

No longer is it acceptable to hide poor performance. No longer is it acceptable to keep results away from parents. One of the interesting things about this bill, it says that we're never going to give up on a school that's performing poorly; that when we find poor performance, a school will be given time and incentives and resources to correct their problems. A school will be given time to try other methodologies, perhaps other leadership, to make sure that people can succeed. If, however, schools don't perform, if, however, given the new resources, focused resources, they are unable to solve the problem of not educating their children, there must be real consequences. There must be a moment in which parents can say, I've had enough of this school. Parents must be given real options in the face of failure in order to make sure reform is meaningful.

This is the end of a legislative process. Signing this bill is the end of a long, long time of people sitting in rooms trying to hammer out differences. It's a great symbol of what is possible in Metro when good people come together to do what's right.

God bless you all. Thanks for coming. (Applause.)

END