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State Legislators - Helena, Montana 9/18/89 [2]
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1
(Smith/Blessey)
Draft Three
September 13, 1989
MONTANA
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: STATE LEGISLATURES
HELENA, MONTANA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1989
Good afternoon, and thank you for that kind introduction.
And let me say what a pleasure it is to address this Five-State
Conference.
You know, being here in Helena reminds me of a TV series a
few months back. Maybe you saw it. "Lonesome Dove." About a
cattle drive which started down in Texas and wound up in Montana.
Well, this is one Texan who's followed suit. And who because of
your hospitality, is feeling anything but "lonesome."
For that, my gratitude. And I'd like to share a few words
in appreciation. They're from Henry David Thoreau, who said,
"Eastward I go only by force. Westward I go free." Those words
hit home on a day like this. For it's freedom that moves the
mind and spirit as you travel West from Washington.
You see the Mississippi, mighty and meandering. And the
Great Plains, from Air Force One a giant, sprawling checkerboard.
And then the Rockies, a sampling of God's handiwork. And you're
freed -- as is all the West -- to enjoy the Big Sky, meet big
hearts, and dream dreams as big as all America.
As Americans, we must use that freedom wisely. By acting as
stewards of this generation -- and of all the generations to
come.
2
A few moments ago I spoke to the Montana Centennial. Where
I talked of how stewardship can involve serving, and conserving,
our national resources. The great outdoors is precious, but
fragile. To preserve it, we must protect it.
Now, in saying this, I'll confess: I feel like a student
advising his teacher. For the West is justly famous for hunting,
hiking, and rafting. And like me, you never met a fish you
didn't like [PAUSE]
Of course, after my recent vacation up
in Maine, there are some who say I never met a fish, period.
Stewardship can mean preserving the purity of our living
environment. For America can only be as beautiful as her people
are vigilant. But stewardship can also mean preserving our
teaching and learning environment. For America can only be as
great as her children are educated.
It's this kind of stewardship I'd like to briefly talk
about. The same stewardship which brought you to Helena.
Legislative members from five States. WICHE members from seven
States. Sharing creativity -- and responsibility -- to help
American education "look to the future."
We hear a lot today about education's problems. And we
should. For the problems are real. A rising drop-out rate. Too
little parental involvement. Erratic standards. Too little
accountability -- by teachers, and students. Schools that are
unsafe and wracked by drug use and trafficking. Kids ill-
equipped to read, write, or understand new technologies.
3
Such answers deserve solutions. For our children's sake,
and the Nation's. And the engagement of each of us. For when it
comes to education, Washington Doesn't Know Best. The people do.
Nowhere is that truer than in the America where local values and
school autonomy are as revered as love of country and of God.
The America of Brigham Young, Mike Mansfield, and Charles M.
Russell. And perhaps nowhere is it more embodied than in the
painting just behind me.
It has been called Russell's greatest painting work. And
it's named "Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross'
Hole." Russell painted it in 1911. But it etches a moment from
1805. And it says a lot: About the West and, strangely enough,
about Western education. To the right stand Lewis and Clark.
Asking more of themselves than of a universe of others. And in
the center are the Indians. Proud. Self-reliant. Each a
steward of his private destiny.
For centuries, those very qualities have sustained the
West. And make possible today's centennial observations. For as
life was arduous in 1805, so it was in the 1880s and '90s. There
were homes to be built, and villages to be created. And schools
to be constructed, so that kids could learn. How did you do it?
The way the West has always done it. You were independent. You
sacrificed. You were resolute. Unafraid.
Let me take just a few moments to remember how it was.
Not as a trip down memory lane. But as a profile in the
stewardship of education. A profile of courage, self-discipline,
4
and above all, sacrifice -- lessons as timely to 1989 as to the
pioneers of 1889.
Remember, first, the schools themselves. Names like Dry
Run, Sitting Up, Crocus Hill. And their condition. Small, often
one-room. Dirt floors. Log walls. And the people who inhabited
them, and made them possible. The kids -- the future stewards of
American education. And the current stewards -- the parents and,
yes, the teachers.
For the students, just getting to school could be mission
improbable. One girl had to walk three miles each way; her only
companions were the blizzards and the wolves. Another two South
Dakota boys had an even longer round-trip -- 24 miles. And once
at school, what did they find? Makeshift furniture: Students
sat on boxes, or benches. Often, no paper. Or blackboards. At
best -- Shell Creek, Wyoming -- a blackboard made of two rubber
boots, split open and tacked on the wall. Books? They were the
Holy Grail. And often as elusive. As many as five kids studying
from a single volume. And fun? It was even more remote. Kids
were told to keep their feet still. That way, they wouldn't
raise the dust [PAUSE]
try telling that to kids today.
Stewards, yes. And how they must have loved to learn -- for
look what they endured. As did their teachers. Remember how
they were stewards of education.
I'm sure you've heard the old expression, "Problems are
really opportunities in disguise." Well, teachers a century ago
must have seen more opportunities running around than they really
5
deserved. Leaking roofs. Rooms full of kids of all ages and
abilities. And skunks beneath the schoolhouse -- imagine what
that did for student discipline. Teachers were poorly paid --
less than $30 a month. And often lacked a desk: One teacher
took an organ, removed the keys, and built drawers under the top.
Privacy? What privacy? Teachers were often boarded in small
homes with large families. And they doubled as community leader
-- since the school might serve as town church, social hall,
dance parlor, and balloting place.
Then, there were the parents. And talk about double
jeopardy. They had to run a farm, raise a family, and tame a
wild frontier. And if that wasn't enough, often they boarded
kids from distant families -- teaching those kids, and their own
-- in the home, without pay. Tough to do -- but they did it.
For they were also stewards. And they realized where the future
lay: In their kids, through education.
They knew, as we do, that education can carve a better life
-- for that son, hoping to be a cattle man, or that daughter,
already in love with the law. Moreover, they knew that true
learning -- the learning of discipline, and challenge -- stems
not from trendy curricula or kooky courses. Instead, true
learning stems from things that are always in style. Things like
reading, writing, and arithematic. Like good citizenship and
patriotism. Things like civility, voluntary prayer, and "Do unto
others." Things as central to the American West as football's
Broncos are to Denver.
6
No government planner told these pioneers how to structure
courses. They did it on their own. Or how long the school year
should be. Or whether in Nebraska -- for instance -- the
Territorial librarian could serve as superintendent of education.
They decided, right here. They didn't need Washington to know
that those closest to the community best understand its
priorities. Nor do you today. I'm talking about district school
boards. And local residents working with each other and all
levels of government.
In a real sense, that's why you're here. For you know --
like the Centennial pioneers -- how education can inspire. As
legislators and members of the Commission, you want to raise
academic standards and increase accountability. And spur local
flexbility and choice. For you know that excellence breeds
achievement, and achievement should be rewarded. And so from
adult learning to K through 12 funding to rural development,
you're taking that grass-roots message to the community. As
your forefathers did a century ago. And as America must do
today.
This Conference says: "We in the West will do our part."
Well, our Administration will do its part. We, too, are
stewards. We, too, know education can be a ladder. That is why
months ago, I sent to the Congress the "Educational Excellence
Act of 1989. It seeks to reward improving schools, increase
parental choice, and say "Yes" to standards. Most of all, it
7
invests in our most precious resource -- the stewards of
tomorrow.
You know, there's a story about how a talented student was
once examined for his doctorate. On emerging from the oral exam,
the teacher said, "I got out of there just in time. He was
beginning to ask me questions."
Well, we want our kids to ask questions -- good questions,
informed questions -- and hopefully, to know the answers.
We
want more Willa Cathers in literature. More Father Flanigans in
religion. More Mike Mansfields in government. Westerners all.
This Conference can advance that dream. So can our Education
Act. And SO can an event which occurs next week -- the first-
ever Educational Summit Conference linking all 50 Governors.
We're going to talk about returning more power to the people.
For no lesson of the Centennial pioneers is more clear than this:
Only together -- parents, teachers, students, and local school
administrators -- can we truly educate America's children.
I began my remarks by talking about stewardship of the
environment and of education. Let me close by talking about one
of the great stewards of any era, Theodore Roosevelt.
You know all the stories about T.R. the conservation
President. How he loved the sprawling West -- America's
cathedral of the outdoors. But you may not know that T.R. was
also a great education President. He talked of character and
devotion. And kids learned that in the classroom. And as
8
President, the three R's were more revered than even McGuffey's
Reader.
Once, Teddy talked of what he termed "real success." It
meant, he said, "bearing ourselves as that your children will
bless you for having done all that was in your power to bring
them up to an honored name." He spoke those words in Rifle,
Colorado, more than eighty years ago.
My friends, let us too "bear ourselves" as stewards of
education, and the future. So that our children will bless us
for what we ve done. Doing right by the "honored name" of the
United States of America.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing this occasion, God
bless you, and God bless America.
# # # #
(Smith/Blessey)
Draft Five
September 16, 1989
MONTANA
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: STATE LEGISLATURES
HELENA, MONTANA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1989
Governor Stephens, Senator Burns, Congressman Marlenee,
Representative Peck, Speaker Vincent, Senate President Galt,
Ladies and Gentlemen. Good afternoon, and thank you for that
introduction. And let me say what a pleasure it is to address
this Five-State Conference.
You know, being here in Helena reminds me of a TV series a
few months back. Maybe you saw it. "Lonesome Dove." About a
cattle drive which started down in Texas and wound up in Montana.
Well, this is one Texan who's followed suit. And who because of
your hospitality, is feeling anything but "lonesome."
In return, I'd like to share a few words of appreciation.
They're from Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Eastward I go only
by force; but westward I go free." Those words hit home on a day
like this. For it's freedom that moves the mind and spirit as
you travel West from Washington.
You see the Mississippi, mighty and meandering. And the
Great Plains, from Air Force One a giant, sprawling checkerboard.
And then the Rockies, a sampling of some of God's best handiwork.
And you're free to enjoy the Big Sky -- and dream dreams as big
as all America.
2
But as we dream, we must also act. Act as wise stewards of
this generation -- for all the generations to come.
A few moments ago I spoke to the Montana Centennial
Celebration. Where I talked of one kind of stewardship -- the
safeguarding of our national resources. The great outdoors is
precious, but fragile. To preserve it, we must protect it.
Now, in saying this, I'll confess: I feel like a student
advising his teacher. For I needn't tell you about hunting,
hiking, and rafting. And like me, you never met a fish you
didn't like [PAUSE]
Of course, after my recent vacation in
Maine, there are some who say I never met a fish, period. [PAUSE]
Stewardship can mean preserving the purity of our living
environment. For America can only be as beautiful as her people
are vigilant. But stewardship can also mean preserving our
teaching and learning environment. For America can only be as
great as her children are educated.
It's this kind of stewardship I'd like to briefly talk about
and it's the reason each of you is here today in Helena -- many
of you from Centennial States. Sharing ideas and responsibility
to help shape the next hundred years of American education.
We hear a lot today about education's problems. And we
should. For the problems are real. A too-high drop-out rate.
Too little parental involvement. Erratic standards. Too little
accountability -- by teachers, and students. Schools that are
unsafe and wracked by drug use and trafficking. Kids ill-
equipped to read, write, or understand new technologies.
3
These problems must have solutions. This Conference hopes
to find them. Because when it comes to education, Washington
Doesn't Know Best. The people do. Nowhere is that truer than
here in the American West where' local values and school autonomy
are as revered as love of freedom and of country. And perhaps
nowhere is it more embodied than in the painting just behind me.
It has been called Charles M. Russell's greatest work,
entitled "Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross'
Hole." And it says a lot: About the West and, strangely
enough, about Western education. To the right stand Lewis and
Clark. Asking questions about a strange world. Willing and
needing to learn. And in the center are the Indians. Ready to
share knowledge, and lead Lewis and Clark along unknown terrain.
For decades after, this spirit of freedom and discovery
spurred the West. Yes, life was hard. There were homes to be
built. And schools to be constructed, so that kids could learn.
How did these pioneers do it? The way the West has always done
it. They were selfless. Independent. They were resolute.
Unafraid.
Let me take a few moments to remember how it was. Not as
a trip down memory lane. But as a profile in the stewardship of
education. A profile of courage and self-discipline -- lessons
as timely to 1989 as to the pioneers of 1889.
Remember, first, the schools themselves. Names like Dry
Run, Sitting Up, Crocus Hill. And their condition. Small, often
with only one room. Dirt floors. And log walls.
4
And remember the communities that built them. What a task
it was. Often, supplies were limited -- but there were always
enough hands. For communities pitched in -- lumberjack,
carpenter, mason. Whatever it took, those kids would have their
school.
Remember, too, the students -- just getting to school could
be mission impossible. In Chinook, Montana, almost a hundred
years ago, 10-year-old Lillian Miller needed sturdy shoes; her
little log school was seven miles from home. And once at school,
here's what she and others found. Makeshift furniture: Students
sat on boxes, or benches. Books? They were more elusive than
prospectors' gold. Four or five kids studying from a single
volume.
Just think of it. Think of how those students must have
loved to learn -- for look what they endured. And when it came
to love, or endurance, no one eclipsed their teachers. They were
the first stewards of American education.
To begin with, think of their problems. Leaking roofs.
Rooms full of kids of all ages. And skunks beneath the
schoolhouse -- imagine what that did for student discipline.
Think, then, of their pay -- that was really a problem: Less
than $30 a month. And privacy? What privacy? Teachers were
often boarded in small homes with large families. And they often
doubled as community leader.
Then, there were the parents. They had to run a farm, raise
a family, and fight off everything from claim-jumpers to bears.
5
What's more, they housed kids from distant families -- caring for
them like their own -- so that every child might have the chance
to learn. For they realized the future lay in their children,
through education.
These pioneers knew, as we do, that education can carve a
better life. And they knew that true learning -- basics like
reading, writing, and arithmetic -- don't stem from trendy
curricula. Rather, true learning stems from values that are
always in style. Values like "Do unto others." Values that tell
kids why drugs are Public Enemy Number 1 -- and detail a program,
as our Administration has, to defeat that enemy.
In that context, let me say: This national strategy needs
your help. We need the States to toughen their laws: Mandatory
time for weapons offenders. No plea-bargaining on guns. The
death penalty for heinous drug crimes. And more police,
prosecutors, and prisons so that vicious thugs will be pursued,
prosecuted, and put away for good. These steps will help make
true learning possible -- and allow teachers to teach values like
self-respect, good citizenship and patriotism. Values as central
to the American West as the bravery that tamed its frontier.
No government planner told these pioneers how to structure
courses. Or how long the school year should be. They decided,
right here. They didn't need Washington to know that those
closest to the community best understand its priorities. Nor do
you today. I'm talking about local school boards, teachers, and
6
parents working with each other in a partnership with all levels
of government.
As a partner, I pledge to you: Our Administration will
listen. I meant it when I said earlier, "Washington doesn't know
best -- the people do." For I reject -- implicitly -- the notion
of Federal mandates -- Federal bullying -- in education.
Instead, what we need -- what I'm asking for -- are local ideas,
local creativity, and more local autonomy.
The plain truth is that our educational system is not making
the grade. In a recent comparison of 13-year-old students in the
United States and 11 other Nations, America placed last in
Mathematics and near last in Science. Spending more money on
education than most other countries, we're getting less return on
the investment. It is time for change -- perhaps radical change
-- to find new ways to improve educational performance.
That is why over the past several months, I have met with
groups from the American Federation of Teachers to the National
Association of School Boards, and from mayors to elected
officials to many State legislators. And it's why we're meeting
today.
For I know how important State legislators are. You
appropriate the money. You make programs possible. And you are
often experts on education. Yet you can't do it alone. Any more
than Washington. Only through partnerships -- government serving
as a catalyst -- can we keep American education Number One.
8
in our schools. In short, ideas on how to spur educational
reform. And return power to the people.
Our Summit will be as wide-ranging as the West. So let your
Governors know precisely what you think. If you do, Summit
participants will reaffirm the central lesson of the Centennial
pioneers -- that only together can we truly educate America's
children. For education is our most enduring legacy, vital to
everything we are and can become.
What a legacy they have given us -- these pioneers of a
century ago. And what a responsibility we have. Let us meet it.
So that a hundred years from now, future generations will say of
us: They taught their children well.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing this occasion, God
bless you, and God bless America.
#
#
#
#
OFFICE I THE PRESIDENT SEAL in UNITED
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
NOTICE:
Enclosed are comments from staff members off the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). Such comments do not necessarily
represent the official position of the Director of OMB or of the
Office of Management and Budget. If you wish to have the
Director's personal comments, please let me know -- and contact
me if you have any questions.
David J. Haun
Executive Assistant
to the Director
89 SEP 15 P12 : 4
072817SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/14/89
9/15/89 NOON
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
STATE LEGISLATURES, HELENA, MONTANA
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
ROGERS
CARD
WINSTON
PINKERTON
CICCONI
ANDERSON
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston,
Rm. 122, x2930, no later than NOON, Friday, September 15,
with a copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
See comments
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
Draft Four
39 SEP 14 P7: 09
September 14, 1989
MONTANA
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: STATE LEGISLATURES
HELENA, MONTANA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1989
Governor Stevens, Representative Peck, Speaker Vincent,
Senate President Galt, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good afternoon, and
thank you for that kind introduction. And let me say what a
pleasure it is to address this Five-State Conference.
You know, being here in Helena reminds me of a TV series a
few months back. Maybe you saw it. "Lonesome Dove." About a
cattle drive which started down in Texas and wound up in Montana.
Well, this is one Texan who's followed suit. And who because of
your hospitality, is feeling anything but "lonesome."
In return, I'd like to share a few words of appreciation.
They're from Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Eastward I go only
by force. Westward I go free." Those words hit home on a day
like this. For it's freedom that moves the mind and spirit as
you travel West from Washington.
You see the Mississippi, mighty and meandering. And the
Great Plains, from Air Force One a giant, sprawling checkerboard.
And then the Rockies, a sampling of God's handiwork. And you're
free to enjoy the Big Sky -- and dream dreams as big as all
America.
But as we dream, we must also act. Act as wise stewards of
this generation -- for all the generations to come.
2
A few moments ago I spoke to the Montana Centennial
Celebration. Where I talked of one kind of stewardship -- the
safeguarding of our national resources. The great outdoors is
precious, but fragile. To preserve it, we must protect it.
Now, in saying this, I'll confess: I feel like a student
advising his teacher. For I don't have to tell you about
hunting, hiking, and rafting. And like me, you never met a fish
you didn't like [PAUSE]
Of course, after my recent vacation
up in Maine, there are some who say I never met a fish, period.
[PAUSE]
Stewardship can mean preserving the purity of our living
environment. For America can only be as beautiful as her people
are vigilant. But stewardship can also mean preserving our
teaching and learning environment. For America can only be as
great as her children are educated.
It's this kind of stewardship I'd like to briefly talk about
and it's the reason each of you is here today in Helena -- many
of you from Centennial States. Sharing ideas and responsibility
to help shape the next one hundred years of American education.
We hear a lot today about education's problems. And we
Aden
still very high
45178
should. For the problems are real. A rising drop-out rate. Too
little parental involvement. Erratic standards. Too little
accountability -- by teachers, and students. Schools that are
unsafe and wracked by drug use and trafficking. Kids ill-
equipped to read, write, or understand new technologies.
3
These problems must have solutions. This Conference hopes
to find them. Because when it comes to education, Washington
Doesn't Know Best. The people do. Nowhere is that truer than
here in the American West where local values and school autonomy
are as revered as love of freedom and of country. The America of
Brigham Young, Mike Mansfield, and Charles M. Russell. And
perhaps nowhere is it more embodied than in the painting just
behind me.
It has been called Russell's greatest work, entitled "Lewis
and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross' Hole." Russell
painted it in 1911. But it preserves a moment from 1805. And it
says a lot: About the West and, strangely enough, about Western
education. To the right stand Lewis and Clark. Asking questions
about a strange world. Willing and needing to learn. And in the
center are the Indians. Ready to share knowledge, and lead Lewis
and Clark along unknown terrain.
For decades, this spirit has spurred the West -- the spirit
of freedom and discovery. And made possible today's Centennial
observations. For as life was arduous in 1805, so it was in the
toughead to
1880s and '90s. There were homes to be built, and villages to be
created. And schools to be constructed, so that kids could
learn. How did they do it -- these Centennial pioneers? The
way the West has always done it. They were selfless.
Independent. They were resolute. Unafraid.
the
Let me take a few moments to remember how it was. Not as
a trip down memory lane. But as a profile in the stewardship of
hast
4844
4
education. A profile of courage, self-discipline, and above all,
sacrifice -- lessons as timely to 1989 as to the pioneers of
1889.
Remember, first, the schools themselves. Names like Dry
Run, Sitting Up, Crocus Hill. And their condition. Small, often
with only one room. Dirt floors. And log walls.
Remember, next, the communities that built the schools. And
what a task it was. Often, lumber was limited -- and had to be
carried for miles. Often, funds were scarce -- but there were
always enough hands. For communities pitched in -- lumberjack,
village smithy, carpenter, mason -- giving of their time, and of
their talents. In one place, a school opened in an abandoned
stable; the kids sat on the manger. In another, the school
opened above a saloon. No endeavor was too great -- no sacrifice
too large. Whatever it took -- however it took -- those kids
would have their school.
Remember, then, the students -- just getting to school could
be mission impossible. In , -year-old had to walk three
-
miles each way; her only companions were the blizzards and the
wolves. And in South Dakota, two boys had an even longer round-
trip -- 24 miles. And once at school, here's what they found.
Makeshift furniture: Students sat on boxes, or benches. Often,
no paper. Or blackboards. At best -- Shell Creek, Wyoming -- a
blackboard made of two rubber boots, split open and tacked on the
wall. Books? They were more elusive than prospectors' gold.
Four or five kids studying from a single volume. And fun? It
5
was even more remote. Kids were told to keep their feet still.
That way, they wouldn't raise the dust [PAUSE]
when you get
home, try telling that to your kids.
Just think of it. Think of how those students must have
loved to learn -- for look what they endured. And when it came
to love, or endurance, no one eclipsed their teachers. They were
the first stewards of American education.
I'm sure you've heard the old expression, "Problems are
really opportunities in disguise." Well, teachers a century ago
must have seen more opportunities running around than they really
deserved. Leaking roofs. Rooms full of kids of all ages and
abilities. And skunks beneath the schoolhouse -- imagine what
that did for student discipline. Teachers were poorly paid --
less than $30 a month. And often lacked a desk: One teacher
took an organ, removed the keys, and built drawers under the top.
Privacy? What privacy? Teachers were often boarded in small
homes with large families. And they doubled as community leader
-- since the school might serve as town church, social hall,
dance parlor, and balloting place.
Then, there were the parents. And talk about double
jeopardy. They had to run a farm, raise a family, and fight off
everything from claim-jumpers to bears. And if that wasn't
enough, they housed kids from distant families -- caring for them
and their own -- without pay. So that every child might have the
chance to learn. Tough to do -- but they did it. For they were
6
also stewards. And they realized where the future lay: In their
children, through education.
These Centennial pioneers knew, as we do, that education can
carve a better life -- for the son, hoping to be a cattle man, or
that daughter, who wanted to teach the next generation. What's
more, they knew that true learning -- basics like reading,
writing, and arithmetic -- doesn't stem from trendy curricula.
Rather, true learning stems from values that are always in style.
Values like voluntary prayer and "Do unto others. И Values that
tell kids why drugs are Public Enemy Number 1 -- and detail a
program, as we have, to defeat that enemy. Values like
courtesy, self-respect, and discipline, good citizenship and
patriotism. Values as central to the American West as the
bravery that tamed its wild frontier.
MAS
No government planner told these pioneers how to structure
courses. They did it on their own. Or how long the school year
should be. Or whether in Nebraska -- for instance -- the
Territorial librarian could serve as superintendent of education.
They decided, right here. They didn't need Washington to know
that those closest to the community best understand its
priorities. Nor do you today. I'm talking about local school
boards, teachers, and parents working with each other and all
levels of government.
In a real sense, that's why you're here. For you know --
like the Centennial pioneers -- how education can inspire. As
legislators and members of the Commission, you want to increase
7
academic standards and accountability. And spur local flexbility
and choice. For you know that excellence breeds achievement, and
achievement should be rewarded. And so from adult learning to K
through 12 funding to rural development, you're taking that
grass-roots message to the community. As your forefathers did a
century ago. And as America must do today.
This Conference says: "We in the West will do our part."
Well, our Administration will do its part. We, too, must be
stewards. We, too, know education can be a ladder. That is why
in April, I sent to the Congress the "Educational Excellence Act
of 1989. " It seeks to reward improving schools, increase
parental choice, and enhance academic standards. And to invest
in the kids, and their kids, who will truly shape "the next one
hundred years. "
The 1989 Education Act can advance that goal. As can this
Conference. And so can an event which occurs next week -- the
first Educational Summit Conference in our history.
I have asked all 50 Governors and each Cabinet official to
meet with me. To talk. Think. Exchange ideas. Ideas about how
to spur educational reform. And return power to the people.
A prediction: Our Summit will be as wide-ranging as the
West. And a belief: Summit participants will reaffirm the
central lesson of the Centennial pioneers -- only together can we
truly educate America's children. For education is our most
enduring legacy
vital to everything we are and can become.
8
What a legacy they have given us -- these pioneers of a
century ago. And what a responsibility we have. Let us meet it.
So that a hundred years from now, future generations will say of
us: They taught their children well.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing this occasion, God
bless you, and God bless America.
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 15, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
JEFFREY R. HOLMSTEAD JOSA
Assistant Counsel to the President
SUBJECT:
State Legislatures, Helena, Montana
Counsel's office has reviewed the above-referenced draft and we
have no legal objections.
I have one minor editorial suggestion for you to take or leave.
In the first sentence of the first full paragraph on page 6, the
draft refers to "the son, hoping to be a cattle man, or that
daughter, who wanted to teach the next generation." I'm afraid
that some people who are on the constant lookout for "sexist
stereotypes" might find them here. Perhaps it would be advisable
to avoid any such possibility.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft.
CC: James W. Cicconi
89 SEP 15 A10 : 56
072817SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/14/89
9/15/89
NOON
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
STATE LEGISLATURES, HELENA, MONTANA
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
ROGERS
CARD
WINSTON
CICCONI
PINKERTON
ANDERSON
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please. forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston,
Rm. 122, x2930, no later than NOON, Friday, September 15,
with a copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Smith/Blessey)
Draft Four
09 SEP 14 P7: 09
September 14, 1989
MONTANA
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: STATE LEGISLATURES
HELENA, MONTANA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1989
Governor Stevens, Representative Peck, Speaker Vincent,
Senate President Galt, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good afternoon, and
thank you for that kind introduction. And let me say what a
pleasure it is to address this Five-State Conference.
You know, being here in Helena reminds me of a TV series a
few months back. Maybe you saw it. "Lonesome Dove." About a
cattle drive which started down in Texas and wound up in Montana.
Well, this is one Texan who's followed suit. And who because of
your hospitality, is feeling anything but "lonesome."
In return, I'd like to share a few words of appreciation.
They're from Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Eastward I go only
by force. Westward I go free." Those words hit home on a day
like this. For it's freedom that moves the mind and spirit as
you travel West from Washington.
You see the Mississippi, mighty and meandering. And the
Great Plains, from Air Force One a giant, sprawling checkerboard.
And then the Rockies, a sampling of God's handiwork. And you're
free to enjoy the Big Sky -- and dream dreams as big as all
America.
But as we dream, we must also act. Act as wise stewards of
this generation -- for all the generations to come.
2
A few moments ago I spoke to the Montana Centennial
Celebration. Where I talked of one kind of stewardship -- the
safeguarding of our national resources. The great outdoors is
precious, but fragile. To preserve it, we must protect it.
Now, in saying this, I'll confess: I feel like a student
advising his teacher. For I don't have to tell you about
hunting, hiking, and rafting. And like me, you never met a fish
you didn't like [PAUSE]
Of course, after my recent vacation
up in Maine, there are some who say I never met a fish, period.
[PAUSE]
Stewardship can mean preserving the purity of our living
environment. For America can only be as beautiful as her people
are vigilant. But stewardship can also mean preserving our
teaching and learning environment. For America can only be as
great as her children are educated.
It's this kind of stewardship I'd like to briefly talk about
and it's the reason each of you is here today in Helena -- many
of you from Centennial States. Sharing ideas and responsibility
to help shape the next one hundred years of American education.
We hear a lot today about education's problems. And we
should. For the problems are real. A rising drop-out rate. Too
little parental involvement. Erratic standards. Too little
accountability -- by teachers, and students. Schools that are
unsafe and wracked by drug use and trafficking. Kids ill-
equipped to read, write, or understand new technologies.
3
These problems must have solutions. This Conference hopes
to find them. Because when it comes to education, Washington
Doesn't Know Best. The people do. Nowhere is that truer than
here in the American West where local values and school autonomy
are as revered as love of freedom and of country. The America of
Brigham Young, Mike Mansfield, and Charles M. Russell. And
perhaps nowhere is it more embodied than in the painting just
behind me.
It has been called Russell's greatest work, entitled "Lewis
and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross' Hole." Russell
painted it in 1911. But it preserves a moment from 1805. And it
says a lot: About the West and, strangely enough, about Western
education. To the right stand Lewis and Clark. Asking questions
about a strange world. Willing and needing to learn. And in the
center are the Indians. Ready to share knowledge, and lead Lewis
and Clark along unknown terrain.
For decades, this spirit has spurred the West -- the spirit
of freedom and discovery. And made possible today's Centennial
observations. For as life was arduous in 1805, so it was in the
1880s and '90s. There were homes to be built, and villages to be
created. And schools to be constructed, so that kids could
learn. How did they do it -- these Centennial pioneers? The
way the West has always done it. They were selfless.
Independent. They were resolute. Unafraid.
Let me take a few moments to remember how it was. Not as
a trip down memory lane. But as a profile in the stewardship of
4
education. A profile of courage, self-discipline, and above all,
sacrifice -- lessons as timely to 1989 as to the pioneers of
1889.
Remember, first, the schools themselves. Names like Dry
Run, Sitting Up, Crocus Hill. And their condition. Small, often
with only one room. Dirt floors. And log walls.
Remember, next, the communities that built the schools. And
what a task it was. Often, lumber was limited -- and had to be
carried for miles. Often, funds were scarce -- but there were
always enough hands. For communities pitched in -- lumberjack,
village smithy, carpenter, mason -- giving of their time, and of
their talents. In one place, a school opened in an abandoned
stable; the kids sat on the manger. In another, the school
opened above a saloon. No endeavor was too great -- no sacrifice
too large. Whatever it took -- however it took -- those kids
would have their school.
Remember, then, the students -- just getting to school could
be mission impossible. In , -year-old had to walk three
miles each way; her only companions were the blizzards and the
wolves. And in South Dakota, two boys had an even longer round-
trip -- 24 miles. And once at school, here's what they found.
Makeshift furniture: Students sat on boxes, or benches. Often,
no paper. Or blackboards. At best -- Shell Creek, Wyoming -- a
blackboard made of two rubber boots, split open and tacked on the
wall. Books? They were more elusive than prospectors' gold.
Four or five kids studying from a single volume. And fun? It
5
was even more remote. Kids were told to keep their feet still.
That way, they wouldn't raise the dust [PAUSE]
...
when you get
home, try telling that to your kids.
Just think of it. Think of how those students must have
loved to learn -- for look what they endured. And when it came
to love, or endurance, no one eclipsed their teachers. They were
the first stewards of American education.
I'm sure you've heard the old expression, "Problems are
really opportunities in disguise." Well, teachers a century ago
must have seen more opportunities running around than they really
deserved. Leaking roofs. Rooms full of kids of all ages and
abilities. And skunks beneath the schoolhouse -- imagine what
that did for student discipline. Teachers were poorly paid --
less than $30 a month. And often lacked a desk: One teacher
took an organ, removed the keys, and built drawers under the top.
Privacy? What privacy? Teachers were often boarded in small
homes with large families. And they doubled as community leader
-- since the school might serve as town church, social hall,
dance parlor, and balloting place.
Then, there were the parents. And talk about double
jeopardy. They had to run a farm, raise a family, and fight off
everything from claim-jumpers to bears. And if that wasn't
enough, they housed kids from distant families -- caring for them
and their own -- without pay. So that every child might have the
chance to learn. Tough to do -- but they did it. For they were
6
also stewards. And they realized where the future lay: In their
children, through education.
These Centennial pioneers knew, as we do, that education can
carve a better life -- for the son, hoping to be a cattle man, or
that daughter, who wanted to teach the next generation. What's
more, they knew that true learning -- basics like reading,
writing, and arithmetic -- doesn't stem from trendy curricula.
Rather, true learning stems from values that are always in style.
Values like voluntary prayer and "Do unto others. Values that
tell kids why drugs are Public Enemy Number 1 -- and detail a
program, as we have, to defeat that enemy. Values like
courtesy, self-respect, and discipline, good citizenship and
patriotism. Values as central to the American West as the
bravery that tamed its wild frontier.
No government planner told these pioneers how to structure
courses. They did it on their own. Or how long the school year
should be. Or whether in Nebraska -- for instance -- the
Territorial librarian could serve as superintendent of education.
They decided, right here. They didn't need Washington to know
that those closest to the community best understand its
priorities. Nor do you today. I'm talking about local school
boards, teachers, and parents working with each other and all
levels of government.
In a real sense, that's why you're here. For you know --
like the Centennial pioneers -- how education can inspire. As
legislators and members of the Commission, you want to increase
7
academic standards and accountability. And spur local flexbility
and choice. For you know that excellence breeds achievement, and
achievement should be rewarded. And so from adult learning to K
through 12 funding to rural development, you're taking that
grass-roots message to the community. As your forefathers did a
century ago. And as America must do today.
This Conference says: "We in the West will do our part."
Well, our Administration will do its part. We, too, must be
stewards. We, too, know education can be a ladder. That is why
in April, I sent to the Congress the "Educational Excellence Act
of 1989. " It seeks to reward improving schools, increase
parental choice, and enhance academic standards. And to invest
in the kids, and their kids, who will truly shape "the next one
hundred years."
The 1989 Education Act can advance that goal. As can this
Conference. And so can an event which occurs next week -- the
first Educational Summit Conference in our history.
I have asked all 50 Governors and each Cabinet official to
meet with me. To talk. Think. Exchange ideas. Ideas about how
to spur educational reform. And return power to the people.
A prediction: Our Summit will be as wide-ranging as the
West. And a belief: Summit participants will reaffirm the
central lesson of the Centennial pioneers -- only together can we
truly educate America's children. For education is our most
enduring legacy
...
vital to everything we are and can become.
8
What a legacy they have given us -- these pioneers of a
century ago. And what a responsibility we have. Let us meet it.
So that a hundred years from now, future generations will say of
us: They taught their children well.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing this occasion, God
bless you, and God bless America.
#
#
#
#
072817SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/14/89
9/15/89
NOON
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
STATE LEGISLATURES, HELENA, MONTANA
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
ROGERS
WINSTON
CARD
PINKERTON
CICCONI
ANDERSON
DEMAREST
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston,
Rm. 122, x2930, no later than NOON, Friday, September 15,
with a copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
Montana congressional delegation with the President- the
Sunator introduction. Please see other suggestions on p.l ( Lonesome Dave
Burns, Congnessman marlenee - 5 hould be included in
James W. Cicconi
book reference), p.3, and p.7.
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Rob partner
Ext. 2702
\
9/15/89
(Smith/Blessey)
Draft Four
09 SEP 14 P7: 09
September 14, 1989
MONTANA
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: STATE LEGISLATURES
HELENA, MONTANA
Senator Burus,
Congressuren Marlinee
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1989
Governor Stevens, Representative Peck, Speaker Vincent,
Senate President Galt, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good afternoon, and
thank you for that kind introduction. And let me say what a
pleasure it is to address this Five-State Conference. wook and
You know, being here in Helena reminds me of a TV series a
few months back. Maybe you saw it. "Lonesome Dove." About a
cattle drive which started down in Texas and wound up in Montana.
Well, this is one Texan who's followed suit. And who because of
your hospitality, is feeling anything but "lonesome."
In return, I'd like to share a few words of appreciation.
They're from Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Eastward I go only
by force. Westward I go free." Those words hit home on a day
like this. For it's freedom that moves the mind and spirit as
you travel West from Washington.
You see the Mississippi, mighty and meandering. And the
Great Plains, from Air Force One a giant, sprawling checkerboard.
And then the Rockies, a sampling of God's handiwork. And you're
free to enjoy the Big Sky -- and dream dreams as big as all
America.
But as we dream, we must also act. Act as wise stewards of
this generation -- for all the generations to come.
2
A few moments ago I spoke to the Montana Centennial
Celebration. Where I talked of one kind of stewardship -- the
safeguarding of our national resources. The great outdoors is
precious, but fragile. To preserve it, we must protect it.
Now, in saying this, I'll confess: I feel like a student
advising his teacher. For I don't have to tell you about
hunting, hiking, and rafting. And like me, you never met a fish
you didn't like [PAUSE]
Of course, after my recent vacation
up in Maine, there are some who say I never met a fish, period.
[PAUSE]
Stewardship can mean preserving the purity of our living
environment. For America can only be as beautiful as her people
are vigilant. But stewardship can also mean preserving our
teaching and learning environment. For America can only be as
great as her children are educated.
It's this kind of stewardship I'd like to briefly talk about
and it's the reason each of you is here today in Helena -- many
of you from Centennial States. Sharing ideas and responsibility
to help shape the next one hundred years of American education.
We hear a lot today about education's problems. And we
should. For the problems are real. A rising drop-out rate. Too
little parental involvement. Erratic standards. Too little
accountability -- by teachers, and students. Schools that are
unsafe and wracked by drug use and trafficking. Kids ill-
equipped to read, write, or understand new technologies.
3
These problems must have solutions. This Conference hopes
to find them. Because when it comes to education, Washington
Doesn't Know Best. The people do. Nowhere is that truer than
here in the American West where local values and school autonomy
are as revered as love of freedom and of country. The America of
Brigham Young, Mike Mansfield, and Charles M. Russell. And
perhaps nowhere is it more embodied than in the painting just
behind me.
It has been called Russell's greatest work, entitled "Lewis
and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross' Hole." Russell
painted it in 1911. But it preserves a moment from 1805. And it
says a lot: About the West and, strangely enough, about Western
education. To the right stand Lewis and Clark. Asking questions
about a strange world. Willing and needing to learn. And in the
center are the Indians. Ready to share knowledge, and lead Lewis
and Clark along unknown terrain.
For decades, this spirit has spurred the West -- the spirit
it has also
of freedom and discovery. And made possible today's Centennial
observations. For as life was arduous in 1805, so it was in the
1880s and '90s. There were homes to be built, and villages to be
created. And schools to be constructed, so that kids could
learn. How did they do it -- these Centennial pioneers? The
way the West has always done it. They were selfless.
Independent. They were resolute. Unafraid.
Let me take a few moments to remember how it was. Not as
a trip down memory lane. But as a profile in the stewardship of
4
education. A profile of courage, self-discipline, and above all,
sacrifice -- lessons as timely to 1989 as to the pioneers of
1889.
Remember, first, the schools themselves. Names like Dry
Run, Sitting Up, Crocus Hill. And their condition. Small, often
with only one room. Dirt floors. And log walls.
Remember, next, the communities that built the schools. And
what a task it was. Often, lumber was limited -- and had to be
carried for miles. Often, funds were scarce -- but there were
always enough hands. For communities pitched in -- lumberjack,
village smithy, carpenter, mason -- giving of their time, and of
their talents. In one place, a school opened in an abandoned
stable; the kids sat on the manger. In another, the school
opened above a saloon. No endeavor was too great -- no sacrifice
too large. Whatever it took -- however it took -- those kids
would have their school.
Remember, then, the students -- just getting to school could
be mission impossible. In , -year-old had to walk three
miles each way; her only companions were the blizzards and the
wolves. And in South Dakota, two boys had an even longer round-
trip -- 24 miles. And once at school, here's what they found.
Makeshift furniture: Students sat on boxes, or benches. Often,
no paper. Or blackboards. At best -- Shell Creek, Wyoming -- a
blackboard made of two rubber boots, split open and tacked on the
wall. Books? They were more elusive than prospectors' gold.
Four or five kids studying from a single volume. And fun? It
5
was even more remote. Kids were told to keep their feet still.
That way, they wouldn't raise the dust [PAUSE]
when you get
home, try telling that to your kids.
Just think of it. Think of how those students must have
loved to learn -- for look what they endured. And when it came
to love, or endurance, no one eclipsed their teachers. They were
the first stewards of American education.
I'm sure you've heard the old expression, "Problems are
really opportunities in disguise." Well, teachers a century ago
must have seen more opportunities running around than they really
deserved. Leaking roofs. Rooms full of kids of all ages and
abilities. And skunks beneath the schoolhouse -- imagine what
that did for student discipline. Teachers were poorly paid --
less than $30 a month. And often lacked a desk: One teacher
took an organ, removed the keys, and built drawers under the top.
Privacy? What privacy? Teachers were often boarded in small
homes with large families. And they doubled as community leader
-- since the school might serve as town church, social hall,
dance parlor, and balloting place.
Then, there were the parents. And talk about double
jeopardy. They had to run a farm, raise a family, and fight off
everything from claim-jumpers to bears. And if that wasn't
enough, they housed kids from distant families -- caring for them
and their own -- without pay. So that every child might have the
chance to learn. Tough to do -- but they did it. For they were
6
also stewards. And they realized where the future lay: In their
children, through education.
These Centennial pioneers knew, as we do, that education can
carve a better life -- for the son, hoping to be a cattle man, or
that daughter, who wanted to teach the next generation. What's
more, they knew that true learning -- basics like reading,
writing, and arithmetic -- doesn't stem from trendy curricula.
Rather, true learning stems from values that are always in style.
Values like voluntary prayer and "Do unto others. Values that
tell kids why drugs are Public Enemy Number 1 -- and detail a
program, as we have, to defeat that enemy. Values like
courtesy, self-respect, and discipline, good citizenship and
patriotism. Values as central to the American West as the
bravery that tamed its wild frontier.
No government planner told these pioneers how to structure
courses. They did it on their own. Or how long the school year
should be. Or whether in Nebraska -- for instance -- the
Territorial librarian could serve as superintendent of education.
They decided, right here. They didn't need Washington to know
that those closest to the community best understand its
priorities. Nor do you today. I'm talking about local school
boards, teachers, and parents working with each other and all
levels of government.
In a real sense, that's why you're here. For you know --
like the Centennial pioneers -- how education can inspire. As
legislators and members of the Commission, you want to increase
7
academic standards and accountability. And spur local flexbility
and choice. For you know that excellence breeds achievement, and
achievement should be rewarded. And so from adult learning to K
through 12 funding to rural development, you're taking that
grass-roots message to the community. As your forefathers did a
century ago. And as America must do today.
This Conference says: "We in the West will do our part."
Well, our Administration will do its part. We, too, must be
stewards. We, too, know education can be a ladder. That is why
in April, I sent to the Congress the "Educational Excellence Act
of 1989. " It seeks to reward improving schools, increase
parental choice, and enhance academic standards. And to invest
in the kids, and their kids, who will truly shape "the next one
hundred years. "
The 1989 Education Act can advance that goal. As can this
Conference. And so can an event which occurs next week -- the
In fact, I believe
first Educational Summit Conference in our history.
this summit will
mark the
have asked all 50 Governors and each Cabinet official to
on an isaue.
first
meet with me. To talk. Think. Exchange ideas. Ideas about how. time
in recent
to spur educational reform. And return power to the people.
history
when a
A prediction: Our Summit will be as wide-ranging as the
President
West. And a belief: Summit participants will reaffirm the
has ashol
central lesson of the Centennial pioneers -- only together can we
truly educate America's children. For education is our most
enduring legacy
vital to everything we are and can become.
8
What a legacy they have given us -- these pioneers of a
century ago. And what a responsibility we have. Let us meet it.
So that a hundred years from now, future generations will say of
us: They taught their children well.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing this occasion, God
bless you, and God bless America.
#
#
#
#
#1371
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Helena, Montana
For Immediate Release
September 18, 1989
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO STATE LEGISLATURES
Helena, Montana
2:23 P.M. MDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Governor Stephens. Thank you,
Governor, very much, once again, for the warm welcome to your state.
Maybe four-fifths of this crowd out here, inasmuch as it's a
five-state conference, will join me in thanking you for your
hospitality. And then your own troops -- you can take care of them
any way you want. (Laughter.)
But I am delighted to be here. My respects to
Representative Peck and Speaker Vincent, Senate President Galt, and
ladies and gentlemen. Thank you again, Governor, and to everybody
involved in all the arrangements for a trip of this nature. It's a
pleasure to address this five-state conference, and it's timely.
You know, being here reminds me of that TV series a few
months back. Remember "Lonesome Dove"? Cattle drive -- started down
in Texas and wound up in Montana. Well, here's one Texan who's
followed suit today. And, who, because of your hospitality, is
feeling anything but "lonesome." I don't know if your slave driver
leaders of the conference let you go outside, but I was really deeply
moved by that wonderful reception and wonderful meeting out there in
the front of this lovely capital.
So I'm delighted to be here. I'm sorry Barbara is not.
She happens to be in the Panhandle of Texas today, in Amarillo, and
so is not with us, but she would have loved it, too.
Let me just share a few words of appreciation. Henry
David Thoreau, who said, "Eastward I go only by force; but westward I
go free." And those words hit home on a day like this. For it's
freedom that moves the mind and spirit as you travel west from
Washington.
And you see the Mississippi, mighty and meandering. And
the Great Plains, from Air Force One a giant, sprawling checkerboard.
And then the Rockies, and a sampling of some of God's best handiwork.
And you're free to enjoy this Big Sky -- and dream dreams as big as
all America.
But as we dream, we must also act. Act as wise stewards
of this generation -- for all the generations to come.
Speaking at the Montana Centennial Celebration a few
minutes ago, I talked of one kind of stewardship -- the safeguarding
of our national resources. The great outdoors is precious, but
fragile. To preserve it, we must protect it. And let me again say
here, as I said outside, I'm very proud to have Bill Reilly, the head
of EPA, doing his job, and traveling with me here today, too. He's
an oustanding environmentalist, a very sensible man, and already I
think he's making a real difference.
In saying -- talking about the preservation, yet
protection, I'll confess -- I sometimes feel like a student advising
his teacher. For I needn't tell the people in this audience from
these five states about hunting and hiking and rafting and fishing.
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I had a terrible streak in Maine this summer on the fishing, but --
stewardship can mean preserving the purity of our living environment.
For America can only be as beautiful as her people are vigilant.
Stewardship can also mean -- and this is what this meeting is about
-- preserving our teaching and learning environment. For America can
only be as great as her children are educated.
And it's this kind of stewardship that I just want to
talk to you briefly about. And it's the reason, of course, that each
one of you is here -- many of you from Centennial States -- sharing
ideas and responsibility to help shape the next hundred years of
American education.
We hear a lot today about our education problems. And we
should. Because the problems are real. A too-high drop-out rate.
Too little parental involvement. Erratic standards. Too little
accountability -- by teachers, and students. Schools that are unsafe
and wracked by drug use and drug trafficking. Kids ill-equipped to
read, write, or understand new technologies.
And these problems must have solutions. This conference
hopes to find some. Because when it comes to education, I really
feel strongly Washington does not know best. The people do. And
nowhere is that truer than here in the American West where local
values and school autonomy are as revered as love of freedom and love
of country. And perhaps nowhere is it more embodied than in the
painting -- this magnificent painting just behind me -- a Russell.
It has been called Charles Russell's greatest work,
entitled "Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross'
Hole." And it says a lot: About the West and, strangely enough,
about Western education. To the right stand Lewis and Clark, asking
questions about a strange world. Willing and needing to learn. And
in the center are the Indians. Ready to share knowledge, and lead
Lewis and Clark along unknown terrain.
For decades after, this spirit of freedom and discovery
spurred the West. And yes, it was tough. Life was hard. And there
were homes to be built. And schools to be constructed, so that kids
could learn. And how did these pioneers do it? The way the West has
always done it. They were selfless and independent. And they were
resolute and unafraid.
Let me take just a couple of minutes to remember how it
was. Not as some trip down memory lane, but as a profile in the
stewardship of education. A profile of courage and self-discipline
-- lessons as timely to 1989 as to the pioneers of 1889.
Remember, first, the schools themselves. Names like Dry
Run and Sitting Up, Crocus Hill. And their condition. Small, often
only one room. Dirt floors, log walls. And remember the communities
that built them. What a task it was. Often, supplies were limited
-- but there were always enough hands. For communities pitched in --
lumberjack, carpenter, mason. Whatever it took, those kids would
have their school.
And remember, too, the students -- just getting in to
school -- we know that from our history -- mission impossible. In
Chinook, Montana, almost a hundred years ago, a 10-year-old, Lillian
Miller, needed sturdy shoes; her little log school was seven miles
from home. And once at school, here's what she and others found.
Makeshift furniture: Students sat on boxes, or benches. Books?
They were more elusive than prospectors' gold. Four or five kids
studying from a single volume. Just think of it. Think of how
those students must have loved to learn -- for look what they
endured. And when it came to love, or endurance, no one eclipsed
their teachers. They were the first stewards of American education.
To begin with, think of their problems. Leaking roofs. Rooms full
of kids of all ages. And skunks beneath the schoolhouse -- imagine
what that did for student discipline. And think, then, of their pay
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-- that was really a problem: Less than $30 a month. And privacy?
What privacy? Teachers were often boarded in small houses with large
families. And they often doubled as a community leader.
And then there were the parents. And they had to run a
farm, raise a family, fight off everything from claim-jumpers to
bears. And what's more, they housed kids from distant families --
caring for them like their own -- so that every child might have the
chance to learn. For they realized the future lay in their children,
through education.
These pioneers knew, as we do, that education can carve a
better life. And they knew that true learning -- basics like
reading, writing, and arithmetic -- don't stem from trendy curricula.
Rather, true learning stems from values that are always in style.
Values like "Do unto others." Values that tell kids why drugs are
Public Enemy Number One -- and detail a program, as our
administration has, to defeat that enemy.
And in that context, let me say: This national strategy
needs your help. We need the states to toughen their laws:
Mandatory time for weapon offenders. No plea-bargaining on guns.
The death penalty for heinous drug criminals. And more police,
prosecutors, and prisons so that vicious thugs will be pursued,
prosecuted, put away for good. And these steps will help make
learning possible -- and allow teachers to teach values like
self-respect, good citizenship and patriotism. Values as central to
the American West as the bravery that tamed its frontier.
I guess the bottom line is that no government planner
told these pioneers how to structure courses. Or how long the school
year should be. They decided, right there. They didn't need
Washington to know that those closest to the community best
understand its priorities. And nor do you today. I'm talking about
local school boards, teachers, parents working with each other or in
a partnership with all levels of government.
As a partner, let me pledge to you: Our administration
will listen. I meant it when I said earlier, "Washington doesn't
know best -- the people do." For I reject -- implicitly -- the
notion of federal mandates -- federal mandates back telling the state
legislatures or the governor what they have to do. I reject federal
mandates, federal bullying -- in education. Instead, what we need --
and what I'm asking for -- are local ideas, local creativity, and
more local autonomy.
The plain truth is that our educational system is not
making the grade. In a recent comparison of 13-year-old students in
the United States and five other nations, America placed last in
mathematics and near last in science. Spending more money on
education than most other countries, we're getting less return on our
investment. And it's time, then -- and you sense this -- it's time,
then, for change -- perhaps radical change -- to find new ways to
improve educational performance. And that's why over the past
several months, I have met with groups from the American Federation
of Teachers to the National Association of School Boards, and from
mayors to elected officials to many state legislators. And it's why
we're meeting today.
For I know how important state legislators are. You
appropriate the money. You make the programs possible. And you are
often experts on education. And yet you can't do it alone. Any more
than Washington. Only through partnerships -- government serving as
a catalyst -- can we make American education Number One.
Accordingly, in April, I sent to the Congress the
"Educational Excellence Act of 1989." Our program has four
objectives. First, to reward excellence. Second, to see that
federal dollars help those most in need. Third, our program demands
educational accountability. And fourth, it supports greater
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flexibility and choice.
We want to create a $500 million program to reward
schools that improve the most. And a new Magnet Schools or
Excellence program -- helping parents choose which public schools
their children will attend. And then, there's "Alternative
Certification" allowing talented Americans to teach in the classroom.
And then special presidential awards for the best teachers. And
through a new initiative of the National Science Scholars, we want to
increase incentive to excel in science, math, and in engineering.
The 1989 Education Act seeks to invest in the kids, and their kids,
who will truly shape "the next 100 years."
This conference, I believe, can help advance that goal,
as can ideas of citizens from Maine to California. And so can an
unprecedented event which occurs next week -- the nation's first
presidential education summit. We will gather to talk, to think,
to exchange ideas.
Ideas about how to boost teacher recruitment and
retention, and increase the choices for parents and students. Ideas
on how best to coordinate the role of federal, state, and local
governments, and instill a drug-free and crime-free environment in
our schools. In short, ideas on how to spur educational reform, and
return power to the people.
Our summit will be as wide-ranging as the West. So let
your governors know precisely what you think. And if you do, summit
participants will reaffirm the central lesson of the Centennial
pioneers -- that only together can we truly educate America's
children. For education is our most enduring legacy, vital to
everything we are and can become.
What a legacy they have given us -- these pioneers of a
century ago. And what a responsibility we have. So let us meet it.
So that a hundred years from now, future generations will say of us:
They taught their children well.
I am impressed with what you're doing. Five states, a
room full of committed people. You really can make a difference, and
we want to work with you. Thank you for the privilege of sharing
this occasion, God bless you for your commitment, and God bless this
great state, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you
all very, very much. (Applause.)
END
2:40 P.M. MDT
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 15, 1989
Memorandum to Chriss Winston
From:
Jim Pinkerton
Re:
State Legislatures speech draft
Ii think this is a good speech that really captures the
flavor of life on the frontier, in the West.
However, I think we should do more in this forum to "make
the sale" to the audience. In the 3rd graf on pg. 6 and the 2nd graf
on pg. 7 we allude to important ideas of credentialism and choice
in public schools, but we never home in and drill the message in
to the listener.
It's all amorphous enough so that when the text moves to
the bottom of pg. 7, re: the Summit, there's no particular idea
that the President has communicated, and that he proposes to
communicate again to the governors in Charlottesville.
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