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U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today joined President Bush for a discussion with educators from several states on how they are implementing the requirements of the historic law.

Educators from New York, Minnesota, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, Arkansas and Colorado were on hand for the event in the East Room of the White House.

"Implementing the No Child Left Behind law is doable because these people are doing it. They don't make excuses. They don't complain. They just get the job done," Paige said at the event in the East Room of the White House. "That can-do spirit has put them at the forefront -- with innovative new approaches to implementing this law. They care about the children in their schools, they are doing their part to make sure that every child learns and no child is left behind, and they appreciate the unprecedented federal support to help them get the job done."

The following educators highlighted their state's work in reading, accountability, teacher quality, and choice and supplemental services: Joyce R. Coppin, supervising superintendent, Center for Recruitment and Professional Development, New York City Board of Education; Patricia A. Harvey, superintendent, St. Paul, Minn., Public Schools; Jim Horne, secretary of education, state of Florida; Kathryn Mitchell, director, Alabama Reading Initiative; Suellen K. Reed, superintendent of public instruction, state of Indiana; Ray Simon, director, Arkansas Department of Education; and Taylor Young, Title I Director, Colorado Springs School District.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which the president signed in January, states and school districts will develop strong systems of accountability based on student performance. The new law also gives states and school districts increased local control and flexibility, removing federal red tape and bureaucracy and putting decision making in the hands of those at the local and state levels. Parents of children from disadvantaged backgrounds will have options under the new law to participate in public school choice programs or obtain supplemental services such as tutoring. And, teachers around the country will be encouraged to use teaching methods based on scientific research that show they have been proven to work.

For more information about the new law, please visit www.ed.gov/nclb/.

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