Too often we act - ask our schools to be truant officers, our teachers to be truant officers, because we're giving them children who have, you know, they're not ready to learn. And if they're not ready to learn by the third grade, they know they're behind.

Quote by Colin Powell

He had earlier supported the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Powell served as Reagan's National Security Advisor from 1987–1989. S.

Bush from 2001 to 2005 the first African American to serve in that position. S.