A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

     FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE: 9:30 a.m.                         Contact: David Frank    August 27, 1996                                                   (202) 401-3026

Statement by U. S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Rilry Regarding the 1996 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools

It shows that the public knows it's dead wrong to take taxpayer dollars out of public education. The parents of public school students and the American people as a whole rejected vouchers by wide margins.

Vouchers offer only empty promises and false hopes to students and their families. We need to focus on what really works--making schools safer, getting parents more involved, raising standards, and improving teaching.

The survey also demonstrates that there is broad understanding of the importance of technology in education. Eighty percent of those surveyed said that federal and state initiatives to link classrooms to the Information Superhighway are important. President Clinton has proposed a $2-billion Technology Literacy Challenge Fund to help schools and communities to get on line.

The poll also reveals that while there is widespread support for public education, many Americans continue to believe that our public schools need to do better. There is strong evidence that this is happening. SAT and ACT scores are up, and so is the number of students who are taking a core curriculum of challenging academic courses. In 1983, only 13 percent of students were taking these courses, which are so important for success in college. Today, over 60 percent of students are taking the tough courses. President Clinton's Goals 2000: Educate America initiative is helping communities across the nation to lift academic standards and challenge all students to reach their full potential.

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