A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

I presided over a panel of five governors at that meeting, and Mark Musick recently sent me a transcript of that discussion, which I read with great fascination. At one point, I introduced a fellow governor with these words: "The leadership from Governor Bill Clinton in Arkansas has been very effective." I wanted to share that with you to remind you to butter up everybody you meet. You never know if it will pay off, but when it does it pays off big.

I also want to share with you some of Governor Clinton's remarks from that day. He said: "I used to be so afraid that … education reform would become like the hula hoop, the twist, and the Edsel. People would soon be worried about something else. I'm beginning to think that's not going to happen and that we may have … real dedication to this issue. If that occurs, our country will be much better off."

Bill Clinton's remarks were certainly prophetic. We have had real dedication to reform in the years since our historic "Goals for Education." And we can say that the South, and our country, are much better off for it.

I think it is hard for us today to remember what things were like when we were establishing our goals in 1988. We were venturing into uncharted territory. No one had ever come together to establish long-term education goals for an entire region. We were brave, and maybe a little naive, but we had a vision and a plan.

We said: Let's raise expectations and standards not only for some students but for all students. Let's set clear goals and benchmarks and measure our progress-or lack of progress. Let's report back to each other and to the people of our states. And let's do all this because we want school reform to be an ongoing process, not a fad like the hula hoop, and we want it to stay on the road for years and years, not like the Edsel.

I think the report that we're looking at-Educational Benchmarks 2000-proves the wisdom of our approach. Benchmarks 2000 tells us what we're doing better, and I am delighted that this includes preparing children for first grade and preparing students for college. It tells us what we aren't doing better, and I am disappointed that this includes teacher preparation. But most importantly, it tells us what we need to do to improve. And that's really what school reform is all about: staying focused on improvement and staying the course over the long haul.

I know that you spent most of the day yesterday discussing the question, "What next?" I'd like to spend a few minutes offering my ideas on that subject.

I want to briefly outline ten things we can do to improve education over the next few years. I wouldn't call these my "Ten Commandments" because education is a state responsibility, but I would call them my "Ten Really Important Suggestions." And I reserve the right to think up a couple more as I go along.

FIRST: We must end what I call the "one-third problem." Traditionally, American schools have put students into one of three categories. One-third of all students were identified as "smart," and we worked hard to educate them. Another third were identified as pretty much hopeless, and we ignored them. And the final third were put in the middle, and we allowed them to drift through school without really challenging them. That got us through the 20th century, but it won't "cut it" in the 21st. We must have high expectations and standards for all three-thirds of our students if we're going to compete in the global economy.

SECOND: We must have universally available preschool for all 4-year-olds, and 3-year-olds where appropriate. Early childhood education should be the "next big thing" in education-our new top priority. The recent scientific findings about how children's brains develop make it clear that we must reach children as early as possible. Earlier means smarter-it's as simple as that.

Of course, this does not diminish the fact that parents must take responsibility for their children's education.

And this brings to me to my THIRD suggestion: Let's find new and innovative ways to encourage more parental involvement. The Sacramento, California, school district has launched a very promising program in this area. Teachers are paid to go directly into the homes of students who need extra help to work with them one-on-one. The students are doing better, and their parents feel more connected to teachers and education than ever before. And that's so important, because I believe that all parents need to slow down their lives and spend at least 30 minutes every day getting involved in their children's education. I'm convinced that would revolutionize American education.

FOURTH: We must reduce class size in the early grades to no more than 18 students per class and focus on reading. Smaller classes lift student achievement, particularly for minority and disadvantaged students. We must have small classes with teachers who are experts on reading and who can help all children to become good, independent readers by age 8. If we accomplish this one goal, a lot of our other education problems in the later grades will go away all by themselves.

FIFTH: We must end the "reading wars" between between phonics and whole language approaches. Research shows that a combination of the two is the best way to go. So let's stop fighting about reading and start teaching reading. If we do, we will hear many more children say the eight magic words that can solve all of our education problems: "Shut off the TV-I'm trying to read!!"

SIXTH: The arts must become a part of every student's basic education. Children love to sing and dance and draw and create. The arts have the power to "turn on" millions of children to education and get them excited about going to school. The arts aren't a frill, they're a thrill for children.

SEVENTH: It's time to stop thinking we can get good teachers on the cheap. Let's get a handle on this issue of teacher pay once and for all. We need to think about tearing up the nine-month contract, putting teachers on year-round contracts, and paying them accordingly. Teachers can use the extra time to teach summer school, to participate in professional development activities, to attend early childhood or reading training sessions, and so on. Believe me-we'll get our money's worth and then some.

EIGHTH: Let's concentrate on leadership. Very often the difference between a good school and a bad school is a good principal. That's why I am deeply concerned about the growing shortage of principals in the South and throughout the country. President Clinton has put $40 million in his budget to help recruit and train good new principals and other school leaders, and I hope Congress will approve this initiative.

NINTH: We must reverse the middle school "drop-off." International testing shows that our 4th-graders are near the top in math and science, our 8th-graders are around the middle, and our 12th-graders are at the bottom. The slide begins in middle school. That is why I have challenged all middle school students to take algebra in 8th grade and geometry no later than 9th grade. Research shows that middle school students who do take these challenging courses are far more likely to go to college and succeed there than those who don't. Middle school math equals opportunity, especially for minority and disadvantaged students.

TENTH: Let's reinvent high school. Too many high schools are too big. Downsizing may be a bad idea in the corporate world, but it's a good idea in the education world because smaller school environments are more conducive to learning. Let's create schools-within-schools, career academies, and magnet schools, each with no more than 600 students. The president is asking Congress for $120 million to help 700 high schools to restructure themselves in these ways.

Two more things about high school: Advanced placement courses should be offered to all students in every school, not just the academic elite. When we expanded A.P. opportunities in South Carolina in the 1980s, we discovered a whole new group of students who could tackle these courses, pass the tests, and get a better ticket to college. And I'd like to see every high school student learn at least one foreign language. Actually, foreign language study should begin by middle school or even earlier.

On this subject, there's an old joke that goes like this: "What do you call a person who knows two languages? A bilinguist. What do you call a person who knows three languages? A trilinguist. And what do you call a person who knows only one language? An American." That used to be funny. It isn't funny anymore. Knowing a foreign language, plus English, is an asset-not a liability-in these times. A command of foreign languages is crucial to successful competition in the international marketplace.

ELEVENTH- I told you I might go overtime-: Let's provide quality after-school and summer school programs. It's a mistake to straitjacket education reform by limiting it to the regular school day. Children spend more time out of school than in school, so after-school programs offer a great opportunity. They can provide the extra learning time struggling children need to catch up. And that can help us end social promotion.

On this subject, I'd like to pose a question: We know that good after-school programs, as well as small class size, can help all students to learn and close achievement gaps between the races. So why doesn't every low-income child, disabled child, or child who has fallen behind have access to these resources? Food for thought.

TWELFTH-don't worry, this is it, I promise: Let's meet the challenge of overcrowding. There are more students in our nation's schools today than ever before, and many parts of the South have seen tremendous increases in student enrollments. Overcrowding is a serious problem and kids are packed into many schools like sardines in a can.

To help meet the challenge, the president has proposed a $22.4 billion school-construction bill that would help build, repair, or modernize 6,000 schools nationwide. Under the plan, the federal government would pick up the cost of interest on school-construction bonds, saving taxpayers in each state many millions of dollars.

So far, Congress has chosen to ignore this proposal, and that distresses me. Many members of Congress have voted to spend federal money on building prisons, but they don't want to spend federal money to help communities build schools. We need prisons, of course, but it makes me angry to see a prison with a state-of-the-art gym standing near a school where the ceiling is falling down on children's heads. I don't think that's right.

My final thought is this: All of our efforts should be child-centered and family-centered. Every time we make a decision, we should ask ourselves, "Is it good for children?" If it isn't, then we need to make another decision.

Recently, I was reading a book called Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, which contains the writings, wit, and wisdom of children. Let me share a few of their thoughts with you: An 8-year-old boy wrote, "When my parents are talking, I don't interrupt but wait until later-unless someone is bleeding or something." A fourth-grader wrote, "Never throw overhand when playing egg toss." And a 12-year-old named Becky wrote, "You don't have to win a race to feel good about yourself. All you have to do is finish. Never, ever give up."

I think Becky has captured the spirit of the SREB. I know that you'll never, ever give up until the job is done. And I look forward to working with you, every step of the way, until we cross the finish line together. Thank you all very much.