Thank you. I am pleased to join each of you at this reevaluation of the historic 1989 Education Summit.

The 1989 Education Summit was a landmark event. During the previous year, in the 1988 campaign, President George Herbert Walker Bush pledged to be the "education president." Good to his word, he called for a summit to discuss the "most urgent problems of our schools." In conference with the nation's governors, the summit approached six important topics: revitalizing teaching, improving the learning environment, governance of schools, choice and restructuring, creating a competitive workforce through improvements in education, and strengthening access and excellence in postsecondary education. The recommendations in each area provided a much-needed discussion and dialogue for the next decade, including a later call for more accountability and mandatory testing by President Clinton, who attended the conference as governor of Arkansas.

Secretaries of Education Lamar Alexander and Richard Riley, have spoken of efforts to implement the summit's recommendations between 1989 and 2000. I would like to talk about President George W. Bush's work to improve education during the last four years.

Let me begin by traveling back in time. There were high hopes and great expectations in 1989. The Education Summit was a powerful act of foresight, marshalling the attention and skills of America to begin a long journey of transformation.

As the nation's governors gathered on this campus 15 years ago, they created a spirit of bipartisanship, united by a common cause. It wasn't easy. Some of them wanted to use the moment to take point-blank shots at the first Bush Administration. Others found it easy to play to the media. And some joined with the media as skeptics of the purpose of such a gathering. Some just wanted a glossy "photo op." But the president and his advisors felt they could work beyond political bickering and partisanship. And they did. Many observers spoke of the president's willingness to listen, to understand, and to work with governors. One commentator said that the summit was actually a way for the governors to lobby the president, not vice versa. There was much cooperation and partnership. There was profound leadership by all involved.

Over the course of the summit, political divides were bridged, partisan wounds healed, and a disparate range of views focused into a singular vision. The summit laid the foundation for a serious, straightforward national dialogue on education. It taught us that education can bring us together as we work for children. That was a valuable lesson for the future, and one we did not fail to notice.

Speaking after the summit, in March of 1990, President George Bush said the gathering was an effort to "take back our schools" and to find new ways to "propel America's love of learning" because, he said, quoting Jefferson, "[E]ducation is America's most enduring legacy." Indeed, it is a legacy we give to our children, to the world, and to the future.

Much has happened in the intervening years after the summit. Let me pick up the story after Richard Riley's tenure. Eleven years after the summit, in January 2001, after a vigorous, close and highly charged election, another President Bush came to Washington, also committed to be an "education president."

And so he was, and is. Within days of assuming office, the president sent a blueprint to the Congress that became the No Child Left Behind Act. That law implemented several of the recommendations of the summit and certainly fulfilled the bipartisan quest for rapid change to strengthen and improve public education, while at the same time making it more inclusive, just and fair. The law requires states to set performance standards, to test students, to place a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, to give parents more information about their children's performance and the performance of the school itself, to allow more choice and a greater range of support for students, to make after-school help available, to allow faith-based organizations to provide mentoring and tutoring services, to introduce more fiscal accountability and to provide more resources to schools in need. In almost every paragraph, every aspect, and every program, the law was faithfully and consistently guided by the earlier work of the summit and its recommendations.

That is why No Child Left Behind was passed with bipartisan support and why it is so important today. It is a more accountable, responsible approach to education. During the 1989 summit, there were calls for improvements in academic performance and teacher quality. Like a successful business, the No Child Left Behind Act introduced measurement of progress to make the education system more transparent and accountable. Lawmakers also introduced consumer choice. These ingredients ultimately make the system better and provide a better "product."

This law has been the salvation of our schools. We already see considerable evidence that the law is working. Under No Child Left Behind, the investment is paying off. Taxpayers are getting a powerful return for their money. While fourth-grade reading scores between 1992 and 2000 remained stagnant, there has been a five-point increase in the last three years nationally. The percentage of African American and Hispanic fourth-graders who know their reading and math basics increased substantially more between 2000 and 2003 than it did in the previous eight years combined.

Further evidence of progress comes from a report released earlier this year by the Council of the Great City Schools, which reviewed test scores from 61 urban school districts in 37 states. Students in the largest urban public school systems showed significant improvement in reading and math during the first year under No Child Left Behind.

And in the last few weeks my Department has received data from a number states indicating further remarkable, rapid improvements. We see an emerging pattern of positive data. The achievement gap is closing. Yes, there is a lot more to do. We are just three years into this process. We are merely witnessing the twilight of the dawn. But as we remain steadfast to the principles and requirements of the law, we will see greater improvements with each passing year.

There has been much discussion about funding levels. For those of you in education, this is no surprise. I think there will always be debate and even disagreement about the right level of funding for education. Historically, on the state and local levels, education has always garnered the most fiscal conversation. As the law required changes, there was much talk about appropriate federal funding for those changes.

And also, there has been much misunderstanding and misinformation about funding. So some beat the drum for, in their words, "more money," "full funding," and "payment for unfunded mandates."

The law is adequately funded. But, in fairness, these demands were not about funding the law; often they were about so much more. Some people on the national level wanted spending without restraint. Some on the state and local levels wanted federal money to correct long-term local problems, perhaps for programs or needs poorly funded by school boards. Some even wanted us become a fiscal solution for all of their problems and concerns, regardless of past practices or constitutional expectations. We were viewed as having deep pockets and as able to provide an easy solution to long-running fiscal disputes. So, the demand for more funding was often about more than meeting the requirements of the new law.

I understand, but may not agree with, asking the federal government for even more money. The idea of the law was to create accountability. That includes fiscal accountability. We have to spend taxpayer money in ways that work.

I am certain that Secretaries Alexander and Riley would join me in expressing disappointment when increased funding has failed to yield student improvement. For example, I am stunned that between 1965 and 2001 the federal government spent more than $130 billion for Title I education and received so little student improvement as a result. I think about that every day. Taxpayers expect us to invest in education, not throw money away. I want to stress that. We are investing money in our nation's future. Those of you who attended the 1989 summit will remember that federal spending was not to be viewed as a giveaway but as an investment. So be it!

With that in mind, we carefully calibrated the funding needs of the law and provided the necessary resources. The president and the Congress provided enough funding to fully implement the law, with historic increases larger than those during any previous administration. For example, in the president's 2005 budget, funding for education would be $57.3 billion, an increase of 36 percent since fiscal year 2000. For Virginia, this means $2.3 billion more in federal education funding since the president took office, a 45 percent increase. Several independent studies, including two by the GAO, have concluded that the money is there to get the job done.

We have recently received a national audit of our work. In the election, No Child Left Behind was the top educational topic. We heard much about this law and its implementation.

Let me note what was not said in the presidential campaign. Neither candidate suggested rolling back the testing or accountability provisions. Neither candidate advocated removing the stipulations for teacher quality or ending other programmatic efforts. The major discussion was about funding levels. In other words, there was very little disagreement, if any, about the goals, requirements or expectations of the law. And, that tacit agreement, this broad area of common ground, sent a powerful, bipartisan message of support for our reform efforts. The country realizes that we must save our schools and that No Child Left Behind is a rational, comprehensive, respectful and well-designed plan to better educate our students.

I believe that one important realization has taken hold: this law is about helping our children. That is the measurement of our success; that is the guidance we must follow. It was the point of the 1989 summit. During the last four years I have heard much about adult problems: states' rights, flexibility in regulatory exemptions, teachers who don't want to teach to the test, difficulties in changing failing or insufficient educational approaches, and so on. The complaints were often about pride, fear, privilege or power. But now we see that these adult problems must give way. The law is helping our children. Test scores are up dramatically, especially for those who are disadvantaged or from minority communities. Parents are more empowered. The community is more involved. Teachers have more resources.

This is what we want for our children, and they have noticed the difference. Our classrooms are more respectful and inclusive. Every single child is valued and important. We are doing a better job teaching each child. And we are laying the foundation for their future well-being and success. We are more concerned about them, and our children see this. I've just spent months crossing the country, talking to parents and students, listening to their perspectives, judging the effects of the law from their point of view. And I've come back with greater confidence that we have made progress.

Let me give you an example. I recently participated in candid town hall meetings in housing projects in Chicago, Philadelphia and elsewhere. In these settings, no one pulls their punches. Education is priority one. Our parents see that the achievement gap is the civil rights issue of our time. They see that No Child Left Behind is an extension of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. They know that education is the road out of poverty and oppression. And they don't want political gamesmanship; they want public education to simply do its job. And I believe parents and students see that No Child Left Behind is making schools better, more inclusive and more successful. They want us to continue to make improvements, now, right now. They don't want this election to be the end of the process of reform. They want the momentum to continue, the transformation to go on. That is why the president wants to improve high school instruction, to help students start more college level course work while still in high school, and to increase offerings for students in mathematics and the sciences.

To paraphrase President George Herbert Walker Bush, parents have "taken back" the schools, and they want us to continue to empower teachers, parents and students, to ensure Jefferson's vision of education as an "enduring legacy."

Like the participants in the 1989 summit, we also want children to be healthy and ready to learn. Recent evidence about childhood obesity raises new concerns about the health of children. Schools have a unique opportunity for help children learn about healthy eating, to help them exercise and to improve their overall health.

President Bush has directed that our schools work to make children healthier through a new initiative. It is called "Schools for a Healthier U.S. Challenge." The Department of Education has joined with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, as well as the surgeon general and senior health officials from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to highlight the importance of this initiative. We are helping parents and schools present healthier choices for their children: low-fat, low-sugar, high-protein meals with vegetables and fruit, no soda, and more water, fruit juice, or low-fat milk. We are working with schools to make all food options healthy. We need to use common sense and dietary information to construct a balanced diet for every child.

We also are working to increase the availability and prevalence of exercise. A new report, using data from my Department, found that only 16 percent of kindergarten programs have daily Physical Education. Almost 60 percent of kindergartners have PE class only once or twice a week. Thirteen percent provide PE less than once a week. Some schools have no PE classes or physical activity time at all. And surprisingly, PE is not available to many students from low-income or minority backgrounds. The report found that small schools and those with a high percentage of low-income or minority students are more likely than others to have no PE in kindergarten.

This is simply unacceptable. We commit a great disservice to our children when we ignore their physical well-being and growth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends daily PE for all students in grades K-12. That should be the standard for every school—PE for all students every day.

The goal is excellence by all, for all. Educational reform must lift all students higher. We are setting a higher standard for learning and for living. We must expand expectations and achievement. Thanks to President George Bush and the Congress, the No Child Left Behind Act is our nation's guarantee that all children—every single one—will receive a quality education. This law is one of the most important actions taken by government during our lifetimes. It is a promise that our children will be educated, not just required to go to school.

You know what this means for each student who benefits ... more attention, more ability, more books read, more confidence, more opportunity, more personal growth, more intellectual development and more competitiveness with students in this country and abroad. Here is what we see ... lives that would have been wasted are now on track ... students who would have been shoved into the shadows now have a brighter future ... those destined for economic oblivion will have the ability to secure a stable and rewarding economic future ... those who would have been unemployed or underemployed will now have higher wages and a brighter future as a part of the workforce.

That is the difference we will make. We will give every child—every single one—a quality education, opening up a world of possibilities, promise and empowerment.

I believe this is what President George Herbert Walker Bush and the state governors wanted in 1989. It was a vision that sparked their bipartisan work at the summit and afterwards. It can be an inspiration for us again today, as we reflect on their work and their achievement.

Education can bring us together and unite this country, just as it brings us together today.

Thank you.

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