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Clinton Speaks On Education At NAACP Conference

clinton

PITTSBURGH (AllPolitics, July 17) -- Pitching his vision for better race relations before an influential African-American group today, President Bill Clinton outlined a new program that would encourage teachers to work in schools in impoverished inner-city and rural areas.

Speaking before the annual convention of the NAACP in Pittsburgh, Pa., Clinton said, "We can never make real our ideal of one America unless every American of every background has access to the world's best schools, the world's best teachers, the world's best education." (288K wav sound)

To help reach that goal, Clinton unveiled a five-year, $350 million plan to attract quality teachers to work in schools in poverty stricken inner city and rural areas.

"Far too many schools are not serving our children well and too many children from our inner cities and from rural areas are graduating without the skills they need," Clinton said. "That is not their failure. That is our failure."

Clinton's proposal would offer scholarships and other help to college students who agree to become teachers and work for at least three years in designated high-poverty areas.

New ideas for teacher training are also included because, "We know students in distressed areas, who need the best teachers, often have teachers who've had the least preparation," Clinton said.

Education has become the first major policy focus of Clinton's race initiative, which he announced in June at the University of California, San Diego.

Praising the NAACP's long history of promoting education, Clinton said, "A generation ago, it was simply a fight to open the school house door that united Americans of every race and background. Today ... the school house doors are open. Yet, behind too many doors, too little learning is taking place." (544K wav sound)

"We must not replace the tyranny of segregation with the tryanny of low expections," the president continued. (256K wav sound)

The president also promoted his plan for national educational standards, saying, "We don't do anyone any favors by not holding them to high standards."

"I am tired of being told that children cannot succeed because of the difficulties of their circumstances," Clinton said. "Don't tell me that children can't learn because they are children of color, they are children from poor neighborhoods, they are children with only the mother at home taking care of them."

The NAACP appearance was the first of two speeches planned for today. Clinton was scheduled to fly to Chicago to speak to the National Association of Black Journalists.

CNN's John King contributed to this report.





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