Remarks at James Ward Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Jan 15, 2001

January 9, 2001

Thank you very, very much. I want to say, first of all, I realize now that I'm in an elementary school that I should get a tardy slip today. [Laughter] But even in these closing days of my Presidency, I can't stop doing my job, and I was unavoidably detained. I'm sorry.

One thing I have learned in over 20 years of visiting schools is that you almost never have a good school without a great principal. And I want to thank Sharon Wilcher for her introduction and for her leadership.

I want to thank Secretary Riley, who has been my friend since the 1970's, and we go back a long way. Our families have been friends; we've shared the joys of our children and the stories of our respective governorships. And I knew he would be a good Secretary of Education, but I think after 8 years, the record will reflect that he is clearly the finest Secretary of Education this country ever had. And I'm very grateful to him.

I want to thank Secretary Alexis Herman, our Secretary of Labor, for joining us today. I brought the Deputy Attorney General, Eric Holder, all the way from Washington. He had never been on one of these trips with me, and he's been working like a dog for years, so I asked him to come. To continue our school analogy, this is recess for him today.

I want to thank Senator Dick Durbin for his friendship and his leadership over all these years. Congressman Bobby Rush, who worked in my campaign for President in 1992, I'm proud of what you have done, sir. Thank you. Treasurer Dan Hynes; the president of the Chicago Teachers' Union, Tom Reese; Gery Chico; Paul Vallas.

And let me say a special word of thanks to your mayor for the partnership that we have enjoyed for education, for economic development and housing and so many other areas. I have constantly looked to Chicago for leadership. I tell people all the time, it's probably one of the best organized big cities in the entire world. And the work that has been done by all of you in education, in reviving the system here over the last 6 years, is exhibit A. Thank you, Mayor Daley.

I came to Chicago today in the closing days of my Presidency for two reasons. First of all, as I'll say more about in a few moments in another setting, it's doubtful that I could have become President without the support I received from the people of Chicago and the State of Illinois. It began over 9 years ago, way back in 1991, when only my mother thought I could be elected President. [Laughter] And through the elections of 1992 and 1996, starting with the Democratic primary and then the election of 2000, you've been very good to Hillary and Bill Clinton and to Al and Tipper Gore. And I thank you very much for that.

I also wanted to come because one of the primary reasons I ran for President is to do what I could in the White House to make a positive difference in the schools of America. I wanted to come to James Ward Elementary because I want people all across this country to know that there are schools like this, where teachers and parents and administrators and community leaders are succeeding, sometimes against great odds, in bringing educational excellence to our children. It is important that people know it can be done.

I came because I have so often told anyone who would listen about Chicago and the accomplishments of your school reform effort. Indeed, you have been very, very good to me today. I asked Paul Vallas when I came in, I said, "How many times since you've been in office have I been in your school system, in your school?" He said, "Six--six." So the way I figure it, I'm either entitled to a diploma or to a property tax bill. I can't figure out which. [Laughter]

You have raised standards and accountability and ended social promotion in the right way, by giving students in schools the tools they need to meet high standards and succeed--higher pay and better training for teachers and principals, after-school and summer school programs, better quality facilities. The results are clear. In this entire, huge, increasingly diverse school district, the test scores of third through eighth graders have risen in every single year since 1994. And you heard the results about James Ward.

What I want the members of the traveling press corps to know, who are here with me, is, every year this school gets students coming from China, Croatia, Central America. This school has a large Asian-American population and a very substantial African-American population, a very substantial Hispanic population and a very substantial white ethnic population. It is a picture of America's future. We have to make education work here if we want America's future to work.

Using almost every proven educational strategy, this school is demonstrating dramatically what we could accomplish in every school in America if every school would work together the way your people work together, based on a common conviction that all children can learn and a common devotion to the proven best practices in education.