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

   FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE           Contact:  Tom Lyon (202) 401-1220    11 a.m. PDT              Kerri Morgan (in Anaheim) 1-800-SKY-PAGE    Saturday, July 16, 1994                                 #570-9039

RILEY TELLS TEACHERS: REACH OUT, SEEK PUBLIC SUPPORT

The secretary said that passage of the Goals 2000 legislation means that "after 10 years of hard work for school reform, we now have a core on which we can build. We have laws that, at the center, challenge students to meet higher academic and skill standards in a safe and drug-free environment and provide teachers with more and better professional development.

"The Goals 2000 Act encourages local communities -- working with teachers, parents, and other groups -- to improve their schools and help their students learn more," Riley said. "It is the culmination of the growing desire for better, safer schools and the desire of the American people to make sure their children's schools are havens of order and learning. And it is all about academic rigor, tougher curricula, and a challenge for all Americans to achieve to their maximum ability."

While pledging to "always reach out to concerned parents, grandparents and religious families who may be skeptical about public education," Riley also vowed to "do all I can to oppose those on the political fringe who believe that the only way to improve public education is to destroy it. The solid middle of the American public cares about public education and it is these people who will make the difference."

Riley prefaced his remarks, to the annual conference of the American Federation of Teachers, by recalling "countless conversations over the years" with the union's president, Albert Shanker, whom he praised as "truly a pioneer in the field, someone who has charted new waters, a committed individual who has always been ahead of the curve in anticipating and working for necessary changes in our schools."

Riley reviewed the Clinton Administration's legislative success in education, including the recently enacted Goals 2000: Educate America Act which will provide support to states and communities to carry out school improvement plans that feature high academic standards for all students.

"We will make very little progress," Riley cautioned, "if parents come to the conclusion that our reform efforts have little to do with their immediate concerns." Citing the interest of parents in such issues as safety, basic values and practical skills, Riley said, "There is nothing conservative or liberal about making our schools havens of order and learning."

"There is little doubt," Riley said, "that reaching for higher academic standards affects personal standards of character by encouraging hard work, discipline, respect for others, and good citizenship. And with advancement in these areas, we will begin to see results -- in our students, our schools, and our communities."

Riley reminded the educators that "in every school that has become a success story, the teachers and school have developed a partnership with the community and, more importantly, with the families of their students. It is in our interest, and it should be our obligation, to reach out."

Vice President Gore will address the conference tomorrow.