Ronald Reagan

“ Our modern technological society is imposing new demands on schools. The report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education and a number of other studies urgently advocate a national effort to revitalize teaching and learning in the 15,800 local school districts and thousands of private schools in our land. ”

“ We live in times that are unforgiving of mediocrity, poor citizenship and lack of interest in the world about us. Mankind has rarely faced a period in which preservation of world peace and economic vitality depend more upon the able citizenship of individuals. ”

“ Parental and community involvement must be enlarged, and there must be greater participation by business, industries, and individuals. One way to facilitate the involvement of the private sector is to widen the Adopt-a-School and partnership programs that seek to link a company or companies to an individual school. ”

“ As a free and democratic people, we depend on the sound judgment of our fellow citizens. Quality education contributes in a major way to that judgment. There are few more important issues before us, for, as Thomas Jefferson once wrote: "I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves ”

“ This same report stated that the declining educational achievement of out-schools had left America "a nation at risk." It went on to emphasize that our determination to address this challenge successfully would determine whether America's place in the world will be secured or forfeited. ”