Title I Can Help Give a Voice of Hope to All Children

Speaking about Title I shortly before he died in July 1996, former Secretary of Education Ted Bell said, [It] is the heart and soul of national policy in elementary and secondary education in this nation. Right now, Title I can truly help drive reform .... But always remember, Title I was created because of poverty. It must often speak for those children who—by themselves—have no voices. (personal communication) In a similar vein, Secretary of Education Richard Riley has spoken of the "new" Title I as a vehicle to assist "the children for whom we have cast a tyranny of low expectations" (personal communication). As the "new" Title I enters its 2nd year of operation, the words of both secretaries serve as a reminder to those of us who administer Title I of the need to reach out aggressively to the "children who have no voices" and recognize that the circumstances of these children vary widely.