#TBT: President Clinton Reforms Education

     As governor of Arkansas and again as president, Bill Clinton made children a priority. From the CHIP program to efforts to curb gun violence and other violent and sexual crimes to expanding internet access to protecting child immigrants and promoting adoption and child support collection, he struck at the heart of millions of voters through the people who matter most to them: their kids.

     In 1994, Clinton signed two major pieces of education legislation to further his efforts. In March 1994, he signed the Goals 2000 Act, a predecessor to the No Child Left Behind Act that raised the difficulty of America's school curriculum, established new standards for teachers, involved parents and guardians, increased the high school graduation rate, enhanced prenatal health systems, launched preschool programs to prepare kids for school, closed the gap between trade and academic learning, and more. 

     In October 1994, he signed the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994. An act to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, this law implemented major increases to bilingual and immigrant education funding, promoted safe and drug-free schools, promulgated charter schools for the first time, provided the necessary funding to put technology into America's schools, gave extra assistance to disadvantaged students while holding schools accountable, launched the Eisenhower Professional Development Program to train teachers, and funded impact aid, among countless other provisions.

     As we continue to work to end child poverty and homelessness, create a more humane immigration system, cut the cost of childcare and healthcare, and more to help our kids, now is an important time to reflect on the progress made by the Clinton administration in improving America's schools at the dawn of a new millennium.