October 9, 2007

THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Spellings and I are so pleased to welcome you all to the Roosevelt Room. With us today are a group of concerned citizens from a variety of groups, here to discuss the No Child Left Behind Act. People around this table care deeply¹ about making sure every child gets a good education. We're deeply concerned about school systems that don't focus² on each individual. Some school systems are just moving kids through, and as a result, our education system is letting too many children down, too many families without hope.

So we're going to strategize and work together to make sure the No Child Left Behind Act is reauthorized and made stronger. And so I want to thank you all for coming. I love your passion³. I appreciate the fact that you care deeply about the future of this country, and that you believe, like I believe, every child can learn and we have an obligation⁴ to teach every child how to read and write and add and subtract⁵.

So thank you for joining us. We'll see you all in the Rose Garden here in a minute.

END 1:07 P.M. EDT