Posted on 09/07/2001 9:17:39 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush will put a special focus on reading next week, hoping to give his education package an extra nudge toward passage on Capitol Hill.The president began the campaign Friday night by attending a National Book Festival gala at the Library of Congress with first lady Laura Bush, the festival host who plans to testify before a Senate education panel on Tuesday.
The festival is patterned on one Mrs. Bush, a librarian, sponsored in Texas when her husband was governor.
At Friday night's event, she said she became a reading advocate because "I love to read, and I want more Americans to experience the sense of adventure and satisfaction that comes from reading a good book."
James Billington, the librarian of Congress, said the library was honored to have as festival host "the first professional librarian to live in the White House."
Bush is stepping up his schools message to press Congress to pass his education package "so that we can improve our public schools," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
In recent weeks, the president has routinely made the case for toughening classroom standards, arguing in last week's radio address that lawmakers needed to act now so that educators will have enough time to brace for the changes.
Bush is devoting this week's radio address to the subject as well.
Congress has tried to craft a compromise, with an eye toward reaching agreement early this month. Bush is renewing his push anyway out of concern that lawmakers might be inclined to delay his proposed reforms, citing a budget squeeze.
About 60 authors are to participate in the book festival, which is patterned after the Texas Book Festival organized by Mrs. Bush, a former teacher and librarian, when her husband was governor.
The first lady put in a pitch for the education bill Friday during an appearance on CBS' "Early Show." "I know the whole Congress and, of course the president, really want a good education bill out ... since children have started school all over the United States," she said.
Mrs. Bush will testify before the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday about the development of early childhood cognitive skills.
Bush and Education Secretary Rod Paige will visit schools in Jacksonville and Sarasota, Fla., on Monday and Tuesday. On Thursday, Bush is to address the White House Assembly on Reading at the Library of Congress.
Other members of Bush's Cabinet are also traveling around the country to advocate reading, even taking time to read to elementary school classes.
Bush's budget includes $5 billion over five years to make sure all children are reading by third grade. He has pushed for private-school vouchers, which would allow students in failing schools to use as much as $1,500 in federal money for private- or parochial-school tuition.
That idea was defeated in Congress last spring after teachers' unions and many Democrats fought it, saying vouchers would drain money from public schools.
The Senate and House are in the process of reconciling differing versions of education legislation. The bill likely will allow students in failing schools to use a smaller amount of federal money for private tutoring services or transportation to another public school.
On the Net:
National Book Festival: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.
Believe one of the most important things a parent can do is read to their children when they are young and in turn, your children will inherit a love of reading which opens so many doors. I started reading to all three of my kids when they were infants and they all three have a love of reading today! Some books I read so often I still have memorized!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.