Bill Richardson

thank you reg __PUNCT__ you sure know how to whip up a crowd __PUNCT__

doesn't he __PUNCT__ let give reg a hand for hi leadership with team nea __PUNCT__ i honor to be here todai and to be in the presenc of a group that i admir and respect veri much __PUNCT__

america educ ar the glue that hold thi countri togeth __PUNCT__ and it time that you ar given the recognit and prais you deserv __PUNCT__

public_educ is the backbon of thi countri __PUNCT__ it is what make_america america_great __PUNCT__ i realli like the slogan __PUNCT__ team nea __PUNCT__ becaus it recogn the contribut of all of our educ employe and their import in a strong system of public_educ __PUNCT__

you ar the unsung hero of thi countri __PUNCT__ whether __PUNCT__ you the teacher in the classroom __PUNCT__ the educ support profession that support our teacher and kid __PUNCT__ the bu driver that carri our children to and from school __PUNCT__ the cafeteria worker that nourish them __PUNCT__ or the custodian that ensur our kid ar in clean classroom each of you deserv our respect __PUNCT__ and not just rhetor __PUNCT__ but fair and decent compens __PUNCT__ too often you been ignor __PUNCT__ taken for grant __PUNCT__ underpaid __PUNCT__ and blame __PUNCT__ when i presid __PUNCT__ i promis __URL__ will chang __PUNCT__ i bill richardson and i run for presid to bring_peopl togeth to solv our nation challeng __PUNCT__

i have spent my whole life bring peopl togeth to get thing done __PUNCT__ as a negoti __PUNCT__ as a congressman __PUNCT__ as a u.n __PUNCT__ ambassador __PUNCT__ and most of all as governor __PUNCT__

we broke the partisan gridlock and transform new mexico...i wa abl to get __NUM__ __PUNCT__ of the republican_vote in a red_state __PUNCT__

i will us those skill as presid __PUNCT__ to restor our nation stand __PUNCT__ last week __PUNCT__ i complain that peopl alwai ask howw ar go to pai for educ __PUNCT__ but thei never ask how we ar go to pai for the war __PUNCT__

i think educ is as or more import than anyth govern doe __PUNCT__

it wa aristotl twenti three hundr_year year_ago who wrote that the fate of nation depend more on educ youth than ani other factor __PUNCT__

not the militari __PUNCT__

not the polit_leadership __PUNCT__

not the economi __PUNCT__

america_futur will most be determin by how well we educ our kid __PUNCT__

we need to get out of iraq where preciou live and need dollar have been wast __PUNCT__

we could be us these resourc to improv our school and make the economi __PUNCT__ onc again __PUNCT__ work for the middl_class __PUNCT__

in new mexico i brought_back collect_bargain __PUNCT__ becaus i believ in my heart that it is import __PUNCT__ our next presid must also improv our countri public_educ educ_system to ensur that it remain_strong and support our global_competit __PUNCT__

my record make me the best prepar to get it done __PUNCT__

candid have alreadi come here to ask for your support __PUNCT__

i know that you ar not go to make a decis base on a media profil or fame __PUNCT__

you go to support the person who ha alwai stood with you __PUNCT__

you go to support the person who doe more than just talk about make chang __PUNCT__ but ha actual made it happen __PUNCT__

i proud of what we have achiev for educ __PUNCT__ for student __PUNCT__ for our famili and for all citizen in new mexico __PUNCT__ in new mexico our educ_reform initi __PUNCT__ which is rank number___NUM__ in the countri __PUNCT__ is call __PUNCT__ make school work __PUNCT__ it ha includ mani factor that have been left out and ignor by the nation current reform_effort __PUNCT__ no child_left behind __PUNCT__ i believ that school_reform should improv school __PUNCT__ but our nation school reform ha made our school look more like reform school with all the mindless test and bureaucrat rule and regul __PUNCT__ i couldn't agre more with the slogan on your convent tee __PUNCT__ shirt __PUNCT__ a child is more than a test_score __PUNCT__

becaus it captur the veri heart of new mexico __PUNCT__ make school work __PUNCT__ the well be of __URL__ the test corpor __PUNCT__

who ar the heart of thi program and i know when you elect me presid we can __PUNCT__ make our nation school work __PUNCT__

our school improv agenda recogn that it is unfair to blame and point the finger at our educ when we have neglect other import_factor such as school readi health and nutrit parent involv teacher qualiti safe and clean school facil and access to technolog unlik the current administr __PUNCT__ you and i know better __PUNCT__ we know we can't improv our school with unfund mandat __PUNCT__ and unfair account __PUNCT__ and punit sanction __PUNCT__ we have a moral_respons __PUNCT__ to ensur that our educ and our student have the support thei need to be success __PUNCT__ it make me sad to sai that public confid in our public_school ha been erod becaus of __PUNCT__ and i quot __PUNCT__ the soft bigotri of low expect __PUNCT__

while nation there been some small improv in test_score __PUNCT__ you have to ask at what cost __PUNCT__ in new mexico there is a wonder high_school in the southeast part of the state __PUNCT__

that on high school didn't make ayp becaus two kid got into a mishap and were unabl to take the test __PUNCT__

thi is unfair __PUNCT__ and thi is crazi __PUNCT__ ar unfair and crazi thing happen in your school __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ well __PUNCT__ it got to stop __PUNCT__ and i commit to bring fair account and support to our school __PUNCT__

let me tell you my plan for __PUNCT__ make_america america_school work __PUNCT__ first we must focu on qualiti teacher __PUNCT__ in new mexico we rais teacher __PUNCT__ salari and creat a three __PUNCT__ tier licensur system __PUNCT__

under thi system a begin teacher can see that in seven year he or she can make a salari of fifti_thousand thousand_dollar __PUNCT__

as a result __NUM__ __PUNCT__ of our teacher ar highli qualifi __PUNCT__

we move from __NUM__ to __NUM__ in teacher qualiti and our salari rank have move from __NUM__ in the nation and ar project to be __NUM__ and we aim even higher __PUNCT__ as presid i would move the countri to an averag start salari of __MONEY__ a year for teacher __PUNCT__ second __PUNCT__ it is clear that school readi is kei to children futur educ success __PUNCT__

in new mexico we implement the pre __PUNCT__ k act for four year old __PUNCT__

our program recogn the import of address the emot __PUNCT__ social __PUNCT__ physic __PUNCT__ and cognit develop of these young_children __PUNCT__

we must also fulli fund head_start program __PUNCT__

third __PUNCT__ we must take action to improv our children_health and nutrit __PUNCT__ our children can't learn if thei aren't healthi __PUNCT__

in new mexico we now provid access to free health_insur to everi child under the ag of five __PUNCT__

we have expand our state immun program __PUNCT__

we been rank second and fourth in the nation for nutrit polici and qualiti of food __PUNCT__

we implement statewid breakfast program for our neediest kid __PUNCT__

and we gotten junk_food out and put physic educ back in __PUNCT__

in new mexico we ar make school work __PUNCT__ our public_school work __PUNCT__ let me tell you right now __PUNCT__ voucher ar not the answer __PUNCT__ i never support voucher and i will not support voucher in the futur __PUNCT__ we were rank __NUM__ in the nation for school_choic __PUNCT__

i support school choic through public charter_school __PUNCT__

we have mani wonder charter school __PUNCT__ but to ensur qualiti_educ for all of our children thei must be held to the same standard of account as the rest of our public_school __PUNCT__

parent ar critic to make our school work not onli for new mexico but for our nation __PUNCT__ you as educ cannot do it alon __PUNCT__

we must fund innov parent involv and educ_program __PUNCT__

in new mexico we provid everi school with an onlin parent involv tool kit that provid innov wai to work with parent __PUNCT__

thi fall __PUNCT__ everi elementari_school parent will receiv a veri simpl handbook that explicitli tell them how thei can support their child success __PUNCT__

you need their support and thei need your collabor __PUNCT__

when school and famili work togeth the child is the __URL__ thi is what it all __URL__ children __PUNCT__ on of the most import task face us todai is make sure our school ar prepar our student for the __NUM___centuri __PUNCT__

our student need more access to relev __PUNCT__ flexibl learn environ via on line learn and greater access to higher_educ through concurr and dual enrol __PUNCT__

we must also ensur that our high_school ar prepar more math and scienc student and i will fight for the creation of new math and scienc academi across the __URL__ i make sure that girl and children of color know thei welcom there as well __PUNCT__

let me close with what at the foremost in your __URL__ child_left __URL__ act ha a nobl goal but ha been implement unfairli __PUNCT__ and is still under __PUNCT__ fund __PUNCT__

it can be improv it must be improv and when i elect it will be improv __PUNCT__ or it will be abolish __PUNCT__ now don't get me wrong __PUNCT__ i not against account __PUNCT__ but i believ in account when it is fair and when school __PUNCT__ ar fund and given the support thei need __PUNCT__

presid_bush promis to be the educ presid __PUNCT__

but like mani other promis and thing thi administr ha said it wa go to do __PUNCT__ after the photo __PUNCT__ op __PUNCT__ the polici got stuck in a drawer and forgotten __PUNCT__

well __PUNCT__ we can't afford to forget our children __PUNCT__

in the interest of time here the short list of the mani issu that need to be address __PUNCT__ get rid of the pass/fail model of ayp provid a more meaning and honest pictur of a school that util more than a singl test_score us fairer test and realist timelin for our english_languag learner and special_educ student provid more fund to help our student succe __PUNCT__

for exampl __PUNCT__ extend the school_year __PUNCT__ or extend the school_dai provid financi_incent for district to attract high qualiti teacher to school of highest need __PUNCT__ not onli in citi __PUNCT__ but suburban and rural_area here the bottom_line __PUNCT__ i not an educ __PUNCT__ you ar __PUNCT__ i not in the classroom everydai with kid __PUNCT__ you ar __PUNCT__ i not the expert __PUNCT__ you ar __PUNCT__ for that reason __PUNCT__ when you elect me presid i will creat a blue ribbon panel for educ excel and i promis that nea member will be repres on thi panel __PUNCT__

in new mexico __PUNCT__ nea wa at the tabl when we creat make school work __PUNCT__ i believ we need to creat educ_polici from the bottom up __PUNCT__ not the top down __PUNCT__ it need to be creat from those whose heart and soul ar commit to qualiti_educ for all our __URL__ those who ar commit to public __URL__ is you __PUNCT__ and that is me __PUNCT__

veri few thing motiv me more to want to be presid of the unit_state than a chanc to make a differ in the live of our kid __PUNCT__

and togeth we can make public_educ __URL__ hear from presidenti_candid who want you on their team __PUNCT__

but you need to ask yourself three thing __PUNCT__ who ha been there for me in the past __PUNCT__ who will be there for me in the futur __PUNCT__ and who ha the skill to bring thi countri togeth __PUNCT__ and not drive us apart __PUNCT__ for the answer to those question __PUNCT__ just look at my record __PUNCT__

i got it done __PUNCT__ and i will get it done __PUNCT__

but i go to need your help to do it __PUNCT__ thank you __PUNCT__ god_bless you __PUNCT__ and all of our educ __PUNCT__ god bless our system of public_educ __PUNCT__ and god_bless the unit_state __PUNCT__