Secretary Spellings Delivered Remarks at Town Hall Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California



FOR RELEASE:
December 11, 2006
Speaker sometimes deviates from text.

For nearly 70 years, Town Hall Los Angeles has provided a forum to debate the pressing issues of the day. I can think of no issue more important to the future of our economy, our nation, and our children than education.

Having just returned from leading the first ever U.S. government delegation of American university presidents to Asia, I can tell you the resources that are being poured into education in these countries is astounding. When it comes to faculty, facilities, I don't think they're there yet, but they are on our heels – and they have a hunger for education that is often missing in America.

They are laser-focused on math, science, and foreign language – the critical skills for the new global economy. They are doing everything imaginable to not only strengthen their current standing, but to position themselves to be exactly where they need to be 20 years from now.

There's a reason Tom Friedman's book – The World is Flat – has been on the top of the New York Times bestseller list for months and months. Our world has changed – dramatically. Technology has transformed everything we do. From the way we communicate to the way we do business down to the way we do our Christmas shopping.

It's one thing to read about it – it's another thing all together to see what he's talking about up close and in-person. Our kids are entering a job market where they face competition from a world away. They need an education that prepares and challenges them.

And yet, I've traveled around the country meeting with CEO's, Governors, and they all say the same thing. Our education system has not kept pace and American students are not getting what they need to be successful.

So, today I want to talk about two things – what's at stake if Congress fails to renew No Child Left Behind and why we must strengthen higher education and help more Americans earn a college degree. Both are absolutely critical to our students and our country's future.

First, No Child Left Behind. Five years ago, the law was passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support. Its core principles are straightforward: states set standards; hold schools accountable for reaching those standards; and use data to see where we are falling short so that no child falls through the cracks by developing assessment systems. This past year was the first time all grades assessed

NCLB rejected what the President calls "soft-bigotry of low expectations" and committed us to the revolutionary goal that every child would be reading and doing math at grade-level by 2014. That's not too much to ask – I've yet to find a parent who didn't want their child on grade-level that year.

Many question if this goal is realistic. Last week, I sat down with a reporter, whose recent article in the New York Times magazine asked this very question. His summation was that it can be done, but it will take a dedicated effort; different thinking; and a lot of hard work.

I've been to schools where poverty is a way of life, where kids were once routinely "shuffled from grade to grade" as the President says. And now, those same schools are getting their kids to grade-level, providing them the education and skills to escape poverty. Kids once destined for the streets, now determined to succeed. We cannot abandon them. We must remain steadfast on this goal, this urgent need for grade-level by 2014.

We have seen significant progress in the past five years:

Despite these gains, there are many who still say – some kids just can't do it. If only the families would send us better kids. If we back away from 2014 because it's too hard – what kind of message does that send?

The message I want to send is that we're committed to 2014, committed to the children of Los Angeles and this nation getting to grade-level. And quite frankly, L.A. is a prime example of the hard work ahead.

On a national level, the data is just as troubling:

Bottom line: if we aren't serious as parents, policymakers, and leaders about doing what it takes to fix our public schools – our nation is going to be at a huge competitive and economic disadvantage. But more than that, we are going to continue missing out on the creativity, brainpower, and potential of millions of our kids.

So, what's it going to take?

And beyond K-12, we need to get more Americans to college. In today's competitive economy, a college education is becoming more essential.

Last year, I created a Commission on the Future of Higher Education. They reported their recommendations in September. What they're advocating has spurred much needed dialogue on how to strengthen higher education.

In March, I'm convening a summit in Washington, D.C. to bring to the table all the various investors and consumers of higher education. We must continue this national dialogue on how we can strengthen higher education to best meet the needs of our students in the 21st century.

Our aim is simply to ensure that in a new era of global competition, higher education remains the path to the American dream and that more Americans have access to it.

Conclusion

Last week, I was in New York to present awards as part of the Siemens Competition to a group of students who had won scholarships for their inventions and research. One student talked about how sometimes he worries about the future; worries about the world he's inheriting. But after being around kids who were pouring their idealism, energy, and intelligence into finding cures for disease, improving renewable energy sources, and developing inventions to help others – he said it gave him hope that the world is going to be O.K. And that's what education provides – hope.

2007 will be another landmark year for education. With NCLB renewal and higher education reforms before Congress, it's an opportunity to build on the promise we made five years ago – that every child counts. And more than that it's an opportunity to strengthen the promise this nation has made for centuries that every child deserves an education.

For the students here today, our number one mission is to make sure that the education you and your peers receive prepares you to succeed and lead in the new global, flat world.

Thank you for being here today and welcoming me. And now, I'd be happy to take any questions.

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Last Modified: 12/12/2006