Suitland, Md--In a speech to a predominantly black student audience at a magnet high school here last week, President Reagan announced that he would seek a substantial increase in funding for the federal magnet-schools program.
Under the proposal disclosed by Mr. Reagan at Suitland High School, spending would jump from the current $72 million to $115 million--an amount that would match the ceiling set by pending reauthorization legislation. Current law authorizes $75 million in magnet-schools assistance.
The proposed hike will be included in the fiscal 1989 budget the Administration is set to unveil in mid-February.
In his remarks here, Mr. Reagan applauded the Prince George鈥檚 County school district, located in suburban Washington, for its effective use of federal magnet-school aid.
鈥淚n 1987, a $4-million federal grant from the Department of Education went to Prince George鈥檚 County for the kind of magnet school you have here at Suitland,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 wish all federal programs gave that kind of return on the dollar.鈥�
Suitland High, one of several magnet schools created by the district in response to a 1985 desegregation order, offers a special college-preparatory program and an arts curriculum, as well as vocational and general tracks.
District officials have attributed improvements in county test scores and dropout rates in recent years to the district鈥檚 emphasis on several favorite Administration themes: parental choice, discipline, and accountability for student success or failure.
鈥淚 wanted to prove that a majority-minority school system can compete with affluent, white school districts across America,鈥� Superintendent of Schools John A. Murphy told Mr. Reagan.
鈥淢r. President, public education does work, and these young people are going to be ready for the 21st century,鈥� he said.
Suitland High is 84 percent black, and blacks constitute 62 percent of the county鈥檚 overall enrollment.
Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, who introduced Mr. Reagan, noted that local officials who also addressed the assembly had stressed 鈥渁ccountability, high expectations, choice, positive attitudes.鈥�
鈥淭hese are ideas that work in Prince George鈥檚 County and will also work all over the country,鈥� he said.
President Reagan, whom Mr. Bennett described as 鈥渁 man deeply committed to the education of students,鈥� echoed many of those themes in his brief speech.
He pledged support for initiatives to increase parental choice, reward educators for boosting student achievement, and allow talented people to become teachers through 鈥渁lternative certification鈥� routes.
The President also repeated his anti-drug message, calling a recent survey showing decreases in student drug use 鈥済ood news.鈥�
In a question-and-answer session with pre-selected students, he peppered his remarks with jokes and anecdotes.
鈥楯ust Keep Knocking鈥�
Mr. Reagan advised the students not to worry if they had not yet formulated their career goals, telling them he was still undecided when he graduated from college.
He recounted how he won a job as a radio sports announcer by auditioning with a play-by-play description of a football game he had played in.
鈥淛ust keep knocking on doors until someone lets you in,鈥� he advised.
