countries, just do it. and if they think, i have not had any background of this. i don't know anything about this. my dad is not in politics. my dad or mom doesn't do this. it is not for the likes of me. just do it. that's what i would say. that's what i would say to all of us. i suspect most of you in the room achieved things because you have just done it. it is not about slogan. let's keep it. >> thank you. [ applause ] coming up on c-span 3, a look at the no child left behind education law. next, president obama's announcement of changes of the law. from 2001, president george w. bush's proposal from no child left behind. we will talk to sam dillon.

when president lincoln was shot on april 14th, 1865, he was wearing a black coat made for his second inauguration by broobrook brooks brothers. it is displayed in the ford museum lobby. american history tv showed the original coat on display for the public and learned how the artifact is preserved for future generations. lincoln's coat on american artifacts this sunday morning at 8:00. just the way i'll remember it. here is the wonderful moment when senator lott revealed his

nostalgia. >> when he ran for president, we voted for him. we're proud of him. >> talkingpointsmemo.com, josh marshall into the breaking news business. >> the media ecosystem is such a different world today than it was ten years ago. i think things like that happen all the time now. i know that there are certainly big stories that, tpm has had. we have breaking news right and left. it has almost become commonplace. it's not nearly as surprising today as it was back then. >> more about tpm and josh marshall sunday night at 8:00 eastern/pacific on c-span's q & a. yesterday, president obama

announced that ten states would be allowed to opt out of the no child left behind education law. those states are colorado, florida, georgia, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, minnesota, new jersey, oklahoma and tennessee. states that applied for the exemption will be required to apply new education here is the president's announcement at the white house. [ applause ] >> thank you, everybody. thank you. thank you very much.ave a seat. have a seat. thank you so much. hello, everybody. welcome to the white house. i want to start by thanking all of the chief state school officers who made the trip from all over the country. why don't you stand up so we can see you all here. [ applause ] >> a great group right here. thank you. i want to recognize someone who

is doing a pretty good job here in washington d.c. and that is my secretary of education arne duncan. i love arne. [ applause ] >> also have some outstanding members of congress on the frontlines when it comes to education reform. but above all, i want to thank all of the teachers who are here today. where are the teachers? stand up teachers. we have some teachers here. [ applause ] you know, earlier this week, we hosted our second white house science fair. some of you may have seen this on tv. i got a chance to shoot a marshmallow out of a cannon. i don't usually get to do. i met some talented people. kids working on portable housing for disaster victims to

technology that can detect smuggled uranium before it became a threat. this young man built a prototype. i asked him how he came up with the idea. he said i always have been interested in nuclear materials. i collect samples. i asked him how does your mom feel about this? he said she wasn't that happy about it. just unbelievable young people. it was extraordinary. before they left, i gave them some homework. i told them go find a teacher who helped them make it here and say thank you. because every single one of us can point to a teacher who, in some way, changed the course of our lives. i certainly can. i know arne can. one study found one teacher can increase the lifetime earnings of a classroom by $250,000. a help a young

person escape poverty. allow them to dream. matter. in an economy where employers are looking for the most skilled, educated workers, few people are going to have a bigger impact on that than the men and women in our classrooms. that, ultimately is why we are here today. it is aboutdrennd what is happe to them and how they can perform. in september, after waiting far too long for congress to act, i announced that my administration would take steps to reform no child left behind on our own. this was one of the first and biggest we can't wait a announcements that we made. because our kids and schools can't be held back by inaction. i want to point out the members of congress. they are ready to act. we haven't been able to get the entire house and senate to move on this. i said back then the goals of no

child left behind were the right ones. standards and accountability. those are the right goals. closing the achievement gap. that's a good goal. that's the right goal. we've got to stay focused on those goals, but we've got to do it in a way that doesn't force teachers to teach to the test or lower standards to avoid being labelled as failures. that doesn't help anybody. it doesn't help our children in the classroom. we determined we need a different approach. i've always believed that each of us has a role to play when it comes to our children's education. as parents, we have a responsibility to make sure homework gets done. but also to instill a love of learning from the very start. as a nation, we have a responsibility to give our students the resources they need from the highest quality schools to the latest textbooks to science labs that actually work.

in return, we should demand better performance. we should demand reform. that was the idea behind race to the top. for less than 1% of what our nation spends on education each year, we have gotten almost every state in the nation to raise their standards for teaching and learning. that's the first time that's happened in a generation. so when it comes to fixing what's wrong with no child left behind, we offered every state the same deal. we said, if you are willing to set higher and more honest standards than the ones set by no child left behind, then we're going to give you the flexibility to meet those standards. we want high standards and we'll give you flexible in return. we provide greater freedom with greater accountability. what might work in minnesota might not work in kentucky, but

every student should have the same opportunity to reach their potential. so over the last five months, 39 states have told us they were interested. some have already applied and today, i am pleased to announce we are giving ten states, the first ten states, the green light to continue making the reforms that are best for them. each of these states has set higher benchmarks for student achieveme achieveme achievement. they come up with ways to evaluate teachers fairly based on more than just a set of test scores. along with promoting best practices for all of our children. they also will be focusing on low-income students and english-language learners and students with disabilities. not just to make sure those students don't fall through the cracks, but they have every opportunities. massachusetts has set a goal to cut the number of under

performing students in half in the next six years. i like that goal. colorado has launched a web site to allow teachers and parents to see how much progress students are making and how different schools are measuring up. so, nothing creates more accountability than when parents are out there taking a look. new jersey is developing an early warning system to reduce the number of dropouts. tennessee is creating a statewide school district to tackle the lowest performing schools. florida has set a goal to have the test scores rank among the top ten states in the country and top countries in the world. this is good news for our kids and good news for our country. i'm confident we will see more states come forward in the months ahead. if we are serious about helping our children reach their full potential, the best ideas aren't

going to just come from here in washington. they will come from cities and towns from all across america. they will come from teachers and principals and parents. they will come from you. who have a sense of what works and what doesn't. our job is to harness those ideas and lift up best practices. that is how we will make sure every child in america has the skills and education they need to compete for the jobs in the future and to be great citizens. o ild an economy that lasts. so, to all of the educators in the room, thank you for what you do every day. we are very proud of your efforts. we know it is not easy. we're proud of you. and working together, i'm absolutely confident that year after year, we're going to see steady improvement. i told the superintendents that

i met back stage before i came out here, this is not a one-year project. this isn't a two-year project. this is going to take some time. but we can get it done with the kind of determination and commitment that so many of you you. shown. i'm proud of arne duncan. let's make this happen. thank you very much, everybody. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats until the president has departed.

why did the administration give some states waivers on the no child left behind law? what is behind that?

>> it is part of the administration we can't wait campaign. it was something they discussed over a year. they originally called it a plan b for no child left behind. the idea was to give some states some sort of out to a provision in the law that requires all students to be at grade level in reading and math by 2014. 2014 is coming up fast. some schools will not make that deadline. president obama wants schools to come up with reforms while congress comes up with rewriting the law. >> will other states follow suit and ask for the waivers? >> yes. when the administration first announced the plan which was last september, they offered up what they would call an advanced -- for states who are ready to go -- a quick approval process for them so they could plan for their next couple of

years budgets. there is always an expectation of a second or third round. most of the states have actually expressed interest there. they are just putting together their plans. there is a complex vetting process before they grant the waivers. new mexico was one of the states that originally applied early for a waiver and administration officials say they are still working with that state to try to clarify some parts of the plan before they give new mexico a waiver. >> there is a rewrite under way on capitol hill. both the house and senate have versions. how are they different? >> in almost every way. there are some similarities in the sense that i think in the senate and in the house, lawmakers are well aware that the 2014 deadline that i was talking about earlier in no child left behind does need to be tweaked. the house has a whole series of

bills that they are planning on putting together in one big authorization later this year. the house's version is a lot more partisan. there are several crucial pieces of it that democrats really don't like. they return a lot of the power to the states and leaves almost nothing left with the federal government which will be a problem in the administration and senate. the senate has a full authorization bill that passed committee. it is not clear when it will be on the floor. the chairman of the health, education and labor and pensions committee said he did not expect it to be on the floor until the house is moving. they are. we will see what happens with that. it also removes some of the benchmarks that have been problematic under no child left behind, but it left the administrative procedures in place. >> new york mayor michael

bloomberg said he was displeased with the waivers and felt the federal government's role was to set a high bar in education. how in general has the reaction been to the waivers? this announcement this week? >> i think mayor bloomberg would be putting for the the point of view that more starkly that the federal government should have a strong role. that has always been a bit of a sticking point in education. people expect states and local governments will be more closely tied to their schools. but for the most part, the waivers are considered by almost everyone in the spectrum of education to be something of a stop gap or band aid to overall rewriting of the education act. they are useful for states at the moment that are facing some punitive problems with the current benchmarks under no

child left behind. it gives them the ability to work on something while congress figures out what it is doing. it is not, by any stretch, a replacement for a new law. so, i think when you see comments like that from mayor bloomberg or others, it is reflecting a frustration that the administration can only go so far. they cannot rewrite the law. >> an update from fawn johnson. you can read her reporting online. thanks for joining us. >> it's a pleasure. when i first started this book, this must be an american story. the country that worships the self of reliance. this is the legacy of emmerson. it is, in fact, more common in european nations, especially in scandinavia. >> in after words, eric

klinenberg looks at americans choosing to live alone. saturday night at 10:00 eastern. also, the second cousin of former secretary of state condoleezza rice. at 8:15, georgetown university's bonnie morris on her one woman play of "revenge of the women's studies professor." book tv every weekend on c-span 2. now a look back at the beginnings of the no child left behind act. in 2001, just days into his presidency, george w. bush announced his education plan at a white house event. he is joined by rod page, who had just been nominated by the president to be education secretary. [ applause ]

>> thank you very much. thank you. good afternoon. it is my privilege to be here at this point in time. i have known president bush for many years. i have had the opportunity to work with him in texas where he distinguished himself by his commitment to quality education in public schools. he got results in texas as governor. he'll get results across america as president. today takes the first step toward becoming the education president. as you will see, it is based on the high standards and accountability and measures for which he always stood. president bush confirmed that education is his first priority. i'm humbled to introduce him and

pledge to get the results the president and america expects. mr. president. [ applause ] >> thank you all. thank you. thank you, mr. secretary. i appreciate you being here. good to see a former secretary of education here. lamar, thank you very much for coming. surrounded by two fine texans, i might add. you are in a good position. i was going to say a rose between two thorns, but diane is not a thorn. she is a great educator in the great state of texas. i'm glad you are all here. it is good to see so many faces of friends. welcome to our new temporary abode. this is an important moment for my administration because i

spent so long campaigning on education reform. it's been the hallmark of my time as governor of texas. my focus will be on making sure every child is educated as the president of the united states as well. both parties have been talking about education reform for quite a while. it's time to come together to get it done so that we can truthfully say in america, no child will be left behind. not one single child. we share a moment of exceptional promise. a new administration. a newly sworn in congress. we have a chance to think anew and act anew. all of us are impatient with the old lines of division. all of us want a different attitude in the nation's capital. all in this room as well as across the country know things must change. we must confront the scandal of

illiteracy in america. seen most clearly in high poverty schools where nearly 70% of fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level. we must address the low standing of america's test scores among industrialized nations in math and science. the very subjects most likely to affect our future competitiveness. we must focus the spending of federal tax dollars on things that work. too often we have spent without regard for results without judging success or failure from year to year. we must face up to the plague of school violence with an average of 3 million crimes committed inside public schools every year. that is unacceptable in our country. change will not come by adding a few new federal programs to the

old. if we work only at the edges, our influence will be confined to the margimargins. we need real reform. change will not come by dismantling the federal role of education. i believe strongly in control of local schools. i trust local folks to chart the path to excellence. educational excellence for all is a national issue. and this moment is a presidential priority. i have seen how real education reform can lift up scores and schools and effectively change lives. and real education reform reflects four basic commitments. first, children must be tested every year in reading and math. every single year.

not just in the third grade or the eighth grade. but in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh and eighth grade. i impose a national test, one designed here in washington d.c., because i know it would undermine schools and curricula. but states should test each student each year. without yearly testing, we don't know who is falling behind and who needs help. without yearly testing, too often we don't find failure until it is too late to fix. consider what some parents face under the current system in some states. child may pass the third grade reading test. she gets in the eighth grade and

fails the eighth grade test. the parents say who do i hold accountable? what happened? my child was successful in the third and here he or she is in the eighth, what went wrong? how come? where did the system let me down? too much precious time has lapsed in this case for us to achieve what we want. every child being able to learn. testing every child every year is the way to stop the cycle. we must care enough to ask how our children are doing. we must have the data to know how poor and minority children are doing. to see if we are closing the achievement gap in america. annual measurement is of special concern of mine. it is crucial. crucial part of a solid reform package. the good news is i'm not alone.

take, for example, congress member george miller from california. some might think it odd that the republican president is mentioning a democrat member of the house. he and i have had discussions already. he understands the importance of strong accountability and we're going to work together to make sure this is an integral part of the package coming through the house and senate. secondly, the agents of reform must be schools and school distri districts. teachers and principals, local and state leaders but have the responsibility to succeed and the flexibility to innovate. one size does not fit all when it comes to educating america. school officials and entrepreneurs should not be hindered by excessive rules and

red tape. the principles here are essential. if schools cannot change, they cannot be held accountable for failing to change. accountability must be aligned at the local level or schools will have a convenient excuse for failure. i would have done it this way, but some central office or washington d.c. caused me to do it another way. flexibility in education spending is of special concern of members of both parties with whom i discussed. i had a meeting with the chairman of the house committee john boehner. and senator judd grey or tim hutchinson. many of our schools need help in the transition to higher standards. when a state sets standards, we must help schools achieve those

standards. we must measure. we must know. if a school or school district falls short, we must understand that help should be applied. senator jeff bingham of new mexico brought this up to our attention of the need for a transition period between the moment of consequence and the first indication of failure. once failing schools are identified, we will help them improve. we will help them help themselves. our goal is to improve public education. we want success. when schools are willing to accept the reality that the accountability system points out and are willing to change, we'll help them. american children should not be left in failing schools. when schools do not teach and