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FOR RELEASE
January 4, 1999
Contact: Julie Green (202) 401-3026
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today announced that he will deliver his 6th annual State of American Education Address at California State University, Long Beach, on Feb. 16, 1999, at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST).
"California is seriously looking for ways to tackle some of the most challenging issues facing public education today," Riley said. "With its growing student enrollment, California will continue to need innovative solutions to address school overcrowding and modernization, teacher recruitment and preparation, and cultural diversity in classrooms while making sure all students learn to read and reach for high standards."
Riley's remarks this year will present his view of the nation's schools and colleges as the year 2000 approaches, with a focus on the critical role of teachers in preparing students for the 21st century. He will discuss the nation's need to recruit and train more than 2.2 million teachers over the next decade and the importance of making sure they are well prepared for today's and tomorrow's classroom.
"The Cal State system educates more than half of California's teachers, and I'm looking forward to visiting the Long Beach campus," Riley said. "Cal State Long Beach's partnership with local elementary and secondary schools, its center for teacher recruitment, and its emphasis on combining the college of education with a solid academic background to give new teachers the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience they need to succeed in helping children learn."
Riley will also discuss the nation's efforts to raise educational standards for all children, the need to build and modernize schools nationwide, ways to ensure that students master basic skills and are challenged to take rigorous courses to prepare for college and careers, the importance of going to college and the increased availability of federal financial aid opportunities.
In last year's State of American Education Address, Riley called on Congress to pass President Clinton's initiative to link low income middle schools with colleges and universities to give students resources to help them prepare for successful futures. Last fall, Congress responded by passing Gear Up, a national effort to encourage young people to have high expectations, stay in school and study hard, and go to college. This initiative will provide middle school students, especially those in low income communities, with comprehensive services including mentoring, counseling and enrichment programs beginning in 6th or 7th grade and continuing through high school graduation, improved academic support and advice about critical college preparation courses, and more information at an early age to help them prepare for college and careers.
In addition to Seattle's Nathan Eckstein Middle School last year, Riley has delivered previous State of American Education addresses at the Carter Center in Atlanta with former President Jimmy Carter; Maplewood-Richmond Heights Senior High School, St. Louis; Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Arlington, Va.; and Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
The State of American Education address will be held in The Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach. The speech will be broadcast live via satellite and available on the Internet through the U.S. Department of Education's website at http://www.ed.gov/. A limited number of tickets will be available to the public free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis after Feb. 1. Those interested in obtaining tickets or hosting a downlink site should call 1-800-USA-LEARN for more information.