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"We are poised to realize a dream," U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told the National Association For Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) today at its 30th Annual conference in Washington, D.C. She thanked the group for supporting the No Child Left Behind Act and the law's mission to provide a quality education to every single child.

"The dream of educating each and every one of our young citizens, regardless of skin color, economic background or neighborhood" is within reach, Spellings said. "The vehicle for this dream is the No Child Left Behind Act. And we thank you for supporting it."

Spellings noted recent reports of opposition to the law. "There are voices in the news that say the requirements of the law are just too difficult to meet," she said. "We must stand up for these kids. We cannot let a few voices drown out our own."

Noting that the New York Times this week called No Child Left Behind "the most important civil rights battle of the last half-century," Spellings asked the group to "lend [its] voice and authority to the fight to keep the law going strong."

Citing low graduation rates and poor preparation for college, Spellings also urged reform of the nation's high schools as the next logical step in education reform. "President Bush believes the single best thing we can do for colleges is to send you students who are ready and able to learn from day one," she said. "So his 2006 budget expands the principles of the No Child Left Behind Act to our nation's high schools." The president's $1.5 billion High School Initiative, Spellings said, would help "high schools identify students in danger of falling behind or dropping out," so teachers could give them the help they need in time.

Turning to one of the goals of No Child Left Behind—improving student proficiency in reading—Spellings touted the Reading First Teacher Education Network, a Department-led partnership to improve the way colleges educate prospective teachers. "Successful reading instruction starts with successful teaching programs in college," Spellings said.

"We're investing $4.5 million in this program, which is grounding professional teacher development in the best available scientific research," Spellings added. "More than two dozen HBCUs are participating, all nationally accredited. It's really an investment in the lives of minority children and their communities."

Spellings also noted the continuing success of the science-based Reading First program. "It's helping nearly 100,000 teachers teach more than one and a half million children to read," she said. "It's been said before, but it bears repeating: you have to learn to read before you can read to learn."

Finally, Spellings pledged the continued support of President Bush and the U.S. Department of Education for the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The president's 2006 budget increases funding for HBCUs and Historically Black Graduate Institutions to nearly $300 million. "The president's historic [2002] Executive Order continues to provide a solid financial base for those institutions," she said.

The full text of the remarks can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2005/04/04212005.html.

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