Education's Moment...
April 2002
Dear Fellow American:
Most of us celebrated the turn of the century on January 1, 2000. But for America's children, the turn of the century came on January 8, 2002.
On that day, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law, closing a successful year of bipartisan cooperation in Congress, and opening a new era in American education.
Never in the history of human civilization has a society attempted to educate all of its children. Under this new law, we will strive to provide every boy and girl in America with a high-quality education—regardless of his or her income, ability or background.
For the first time, the federal government will invest in successful public education instead of continuing to fund a failing system. The new law will give states more flexibility on how they spend their education dollars. In return, it requires them to set standards for student achievement, and hold students, teachers and other educators accountable for results. No Child Left Behind also will give parents new opportunities to make sure their children receive the very best education possible.
No Child Left Behind helps us look at schools, governance and the federal role in education the right way. It reminds us that the goal of schools is not to issue diplomas, but to educate students, because our nation's freedom ultimately depends on an informed public and a high standard of educational excellence.
Sincerely,
Rod Paige
U.S. Secretary of Education
Back to Top | Return to What to Know
| 
Official U.S. Department of Education web site.