Some parents are getting exercised about the idea that students in schools will watch President Obama give a speech on Tuesday about education. There is precendent for a president to give advice to the nation's youth — and for it to be broadcast nationally.

In 1991 former President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation's children on the importance of education

His remarks were broadcast live by the Cable News Network, the Public
Broadcasting System, the Mutual Broadcasting System, and the NBC radio
network.

In his remarks, he referred to Cynthia Mostoller, an eighth grade
humanities teacher; Rachel Rusch, a student; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chairman
of the President's Council on Physical Fitness; principal Reginald R. Moss;
and custodian George Francis.

Remarks to Students and Faculty at Alice Deal Junior High School, in Washington, D.C., on Oct 1, 1991: 

Thank you, Ms. Mostoller, and thanks for allowing me to visit your classroom
to talk to you and all these students, and millions more in classrooms all
across the country.

You know, long before I became President I was a parent. I remember the
times that my kids came up with a really tough question or a difficult
decision. I tried my best never to shut them down with a quick ``no.'' I
would simply say those three magic words that made that problem disappear:
``Ask your Mother.'' [Laughter]

Let me tell you why I've made the trip up from the White House to Alice Deal
Junior High. I'm not here to teach a lesson. You already have a very good
teacher. I'm not here to tell you what to do or what to think. Maybe you're
accustomed to adults talking about you and at you; well, today, I'm here to
talk to you and challenge you. Education matters, and what you do today, and
what you don't do can change your future.

Every day, we hear more bad news about our schools. Maybe you saw today's
headline, I don't know if you had a chance to look at it, about the release
of the new National Goals Report. Get the camera to come in and take a look
at this for a moment. In math, for instance, this national report card shows
that, nationwide, five of six eighth graders don't know the math they need
to move up to the ninth grade.

In spite of troubling statistics like this one, I don't see this report,
however, as just bad news, and I'll tell you why. This report tells us a lot
about what you know and what you don't know. It gives us something to build
on. It shows us our strengths and the weaknesses that we've go to correct.
It sets forth a challenge to all of us: Work harder, learn more,
revolutionize American education.

I know you've heard about stanines and percentiles, surveys and statistics,
but here's what all that fancy talk really means: Education means the
difference between a good future and a lousy one. Reports don't give us the
right to make excuses. Our scores will tell us where we are and where we
need to go.

I mentioned earlier the bad news we hear about schools today. But what we
don't hear enough about are the success stories. You know, all over America,
thousands of schools do succeed, even against tough odds, even against all
odds. Kids from all over the District of Columbia petition to get into Alice
Deal School here because parents know this school works. It works because of
teachers like the one standing over here, Ms. Mostoller, who decided at the
age of 25 -- maybe you all know this, but a lot of people around the country
don't -- she decided at the age of 25 that she wanted to teach. She was
standing in a supermarket checkout line when she saw a magazine ad about
college. She went back to school, worked her way through in 7 years, waiting
tables to pay tuition. She made it, and so can you.

This school here works because of students like the ones with me today,
students like Rachel Rusch -- where's Rachel? Right there, okay -- a member
of Alice Deal's award-winning ``Math Counts'' team. Rachel, you tell me if
I'm wrong, but you and six other students in this class alone have taken
part in the Johns Hopkins Talent Search. They took the college entrance
exams on an experimental basis last year as seventh graders. Even in junior
high, some of them scored well enough to get into college right now. So,
let's just put it on the line. You've got the brains. Now, put them to work
-- certainly, not for me, but for you.

Progress starts when we ask more of ourselves, our schools and, yes, you,
our students. We made a start nationally now by setting six National
Education Goals to meet the challenges of the 21st century. By the year
2000, at least 9 in every 10 students should graduate from high school. We
should be first in the world in math and science. We need to regularly test
student's abilities. Every American child should start school ready to
learn; every American adult should be literate; and every American school
should be safe and drug-free. Reaching those goals is the aim of a strategy
that we call America 2000, a crusade for excellence in American education,
school by school, community by community.

But what does all this mean, you might say, what is he doing, what does this
all mean for the students right here in this room? Fast-forward -- 5 years
from now. Unless things change, between now and 1996 as many as one in four
of today's eighth graders will not graduate with their class. In some
cities, the dropout rate is twice that high or higher. Imagine: Out of a
total of nearly 3 million of your fellow classmates nationwide, an army of
more than half a million dropouts.

I ask every student watching today: Look around you. Count four students.
Start with yourself. No one dreams of becoming a dropout, but far too many
do. Which one of you won't make it through school?

The fact is, every one of you can. Let's make a pact then right here. Let's
work to see that 5 years from now, you and your friends will be more than
sad statistics. Give yourself a decent shot at your dreams. Stay in school.
Get that diploma.

Let's go back to the future. In the fall of 1996, 5 years from now, nearly
half of today's eighth graders who get their diplomas will enter the working
world. More than half the graduates will stay in school and become the
college class of the year 2000.

The question each student watching today should ask is: Where will I be,
where will I be 5 years from now? Will I be holding down a good job and
maybe working toward a better one, or will I be out of school and out of
work? Will I be on a college campus, or out running the streets?

Think about that tonight when you're at a kitchen table doing some homework;
while your parents are meeting your teachers like so many millions do this
year at back-to-school nights all across our great country.

I'm asking you to put two and two together: Make the connection between the
homework you do tonight, the test you take tomorrow, and where you'll be 5,
15, even 50 years from now. You see, the real world doesn't begin somewhere
else, some time way down there in the distant future. The real world starts
right here. What you do here will have consequences for your whole lives.

Let me tell you something, many of you may find very hard to believe this.
You're in control. You're thinking: How can the President say that about
kids like us when we don't even have our driver's license? But think about
it, and you'll see what I mean.

Think about drugs. You see films. You hear police experts and tough speakers
from the outside. You get stern lectures from everyone: movie stars,
athletes, teachers, parents, friends. But you know and I know that all the
drug prevention programs, all the pledges, all the preaching in the world
won't pull you through that critical moment when someone offers drugs. At
that moment, everything comes down to you. Yes or no, you've got to choose,
and the answer will change your life. Your parents won't make the decision.
Your teachers won't make the decision. Your friends won't make the decision.
It's up to you. It takes guts to take control.

A sound body and a sound mind, they go together, as my friend, and he is a
friend, Arnold Schwarzenegger says. He's crossing the Nation talking with
students about the importance of fitness. And real fitness means no drugs.

Studies show a decline in drug use, and that's good, that's encouraging, I
think. And every student who draws the line against drugs really deserves
credit for that. But drugs and violence continue to threaten every school,
every small town and suburb in America. And as students, you have a right to
be physically safe at school. You should never have to worry that a quarrel
in the hallway will lead to gunfire in the playground. Fear should never
follow you into the classroom.

If you have to take the long way home after school so you don't cross paths
with the gang hanging on the corner, if outsiders roam the halls of your
school hassling kids, hassling students, you must take control. Go to your
teacher, or go to your principal, or go to your parents, as difficult as it
may be, go to the school board if you have to. Demand discipline. If good
people chicken out, bad people take control. Together, we can -- I really
believe this -- we can drive the drugs and guns and senseless violence out
of our schools.

When it comes to your own education, what I'm saying is take control. Don't
say school is boring and blame it on your teachers. Make your teachers work
hard. Tell them you want a first-class education. Tell them that you're here
to learn.

Block out the kids who think it's not cool to be smart. I can't understand
for the life of me what's so great about being stupid. If someone goofs off
today, are they cool? Are they still cool years from now when they're stuck
in a dead-end job? Don't let peer pressure stand between you and your
dreams.

Take control -- challenge yourself. Only you know how hard you work. Maybe
you can fake, maybe, just maybe you can fake your way into a job, but you
won't keep it for long if you don't have the know-how to get the job done.
Maybe you can cram the week before that marking period ends, and turn that C
into a B. But you can't con your way past the SAT and into college. If you
don't work hard, who gets hurt? If you cheat, who pays the price? If you cut
corners, if you hunt for the easy A, who comes up short? Easy answer to that
one: You do.

You're in control, but you are not alone. People want you to succeed. They
want to help you succeed. Here at Deal, teachers like your outstanding
teacher standing here with us today, Ms. Mostoller, from your principal, Mr.
Moss, to your custodian, Mr. Francis. Right now in classrooms across this
country, in the communities you call home, when things get tough, when
answers are hard to come by, there's a teacher, a parent, a friend or family
member ready to help you. They want to see you make it.

If you take school seriously, you won't have to settle for a job, just any
job. You'll have a career. If you make it your business to learn, one day
you'll be a better parent. You may not think about it now, but one day your
children will want to look up at you and say, ``I've got the smartest Mom
and Dad in the world.'' Don't disappoint them.

Let me leave you with a simple message: Every time you walk through that
classroom door, make it your mission to get a good education. Don't do it
just because your parents, or even the President, tells you. Do it for
yourselves. Do it for your future. And while you're at it, help a little
brother or sister to learn, or maybe even Mom or Dad. Let me know how you're
doing. Write me a letter -- and I'm serious about this one -- write me a
letter about ways you can help us achieve our goals. I think you know the
address.

Now we're going to walk over to the school auditorium to say hello to the
rest of the student body. To all the students across the country who watched
us here in this great classroom today, may I simply say thank you and good
luck to you this school year.

And now, Ms. Mostoller, if you'll kindly lead the way. Thank you all very
much. Nice to be with you.

xxx