U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today issued the following statement observing Catholic Schools Week:

"I want to thank the nation's Catholic schools for being a valuable partner in the important work of leaving no child behind. Across the country, Catholic schools provide high-quality educational choices to millions of families of all races and economic means.

"As a mother, I know firsthand the value of a Catholic school education. My oldest daughter graduated from a Catholic high school last spring ready for the challenges of college.

"And as a nation, we all saw the strength of the Catholic school community in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita this fall. Catholic schools reached out to welcome thousands of displaced students into their classrooms. When the U.S. Department of Education unveiled the Hurricane Help for Schools web site, Catholic organizations were some of the most generous first responders with offers of aid for schools taking in displaced students. And I am pleased to see that many Catholic schools in the Gulf Coast region have already reopened, including about two-thirds of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. We are committed to helping these schools return to the important work of providing students with the quality education that we have come to expect from our nation's Catholic schools."

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