President Bush spoke on American education policy in at the Lewiston Comprehensive School in Lewiston, ME, before an audience of educators, government representatives, and high-school students. Introduced by Maine governor John McKernan and the Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander, President Bush spoke on the America 2000 education initiatives introduced by his administration earlier in the year, which set forth a number of goals for the improvement of American education including new school designs, national standardized testing for American students, and parental choice in determining which school their children should attend. The event marked the kickoff of Maine’s education reform program entitled, “Maine 2000.” President Bush extolled the necessity for action in bringing about change for the better in American education. He said neither Washington DC nor Augusta could be blamed for the failure of American education, but rather the failure lies in Americans themselves.