For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 3, 2006

President Visits Science and Engineering High School in Texas
School of Science and Engineering
Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center
Dallas, Texas

	President's Remarks

      In Focus: Education

2:13 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, it's such an honor to be here at this school. Thank you all for coming. Every good school requires a couple of things. One, a good principal -- thank you for doing that -- and great teachers and good support. That's a super tie, thanks for being here.

Laura and I are here because we believe it's important to spread AP classes all around the country. This is a unique place. The students here are really impressive people. They have decided to focus on the sciences and math and engineering. And this school helps lift their sights -- and one way it does so is to encourage them to take AP.

We want more AP students because we want more engineers and scientists that are able to compete with other students around the world. And so one thing the government can do is help train 70,000 teachers all around the country so that they can teach students advanced placement.

We also want to encourage scientists and chemists and physicists to come into the classrooms all around the country to excite students about the possibilities of science and engineering. And the reason why is in order for America to be a competitive nation in the years to come, we have got to have a workforce that is strong in engineering and science and physics. You know, some would hope that the competition around the world will go away -- it's not going to. And so we have a choice to make: do we want to retreat, become protectionist; or do we want to seize the moment and shape our future?

And so the American Competitiveness Initiative I've outlined says that America will continue to lead, we'll shape our future and we'll make sure our kids are well-versed in science and math and engineering.

Again, I want to thank you all for letting us come to your school. It's a fantastic school. It really does brighten my hopes about the future of the country to see you all and see your enthusiasm for the subjects and to listen to your very articulate explanations of the different courses you're studying. Thanks a lot, appreciate it. (Applause.)

END 2:15 P.M. CST