[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[March 12, 1992]
[Pages 433-434]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to Recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in 
Science and Mathematics Teaching

March 12, 1992
    Welcome to the chilly Rose Garden. I don't know whose idea this was, 
but--[laughter]. In any event, we are just delighted to have you all 
here. And it's great to see Lynn Martin, our Secretary of Labor; Dr. 
Massey; Dr. Wong; and most of all, let me welcome 108 very special men 
and women chosen from over one-quarter of a million secondary teachers 
in their fields. And congratulations to all of you in receiving this 
Nation's highest honor for math and science teachers.
    As teachers, you know firsthand what the spirit of innovation has 
brought to this country, though we're not always ready for change. 
Sometimes I think that if Edison were to invent the light bulb today, 
newspapers would headline the story ``Candle Industry Threatened.'' 
[Laughter] The one I like best, though, is one Lyndon Johnson used to 
tell about. Pointing down to the Potomac, he said, ``If I walked across 
the Potomac, the press would say `LBJ can't swim.''' [Laughter]
    You have shown the kind of excellence that will help this country 
meet the ambitious goals that we've set for our Nation in this America 
2000 education strategy, goals worthy of the talent you have and of the 
potential of these wonderful young kids that you teach. We know we've 
got to be competitive in math and science in a changing world. Our 
economic health, our economic strength, our survival, depend on how we 
educate ourselves to face the challenges of the next century. We've 
called on our kids to be number one in the world in your subjects by the 
turn of the century. And it's teachers like you who will help us reach 
our goal, set an example, and help America to excel.
    As you know, we're helping to develop world-class standards for 
national assessment in five core areas, including math and science. And 
we've set a deadline for the first phase of the American Achievement 
Test, the start of the 1993-94 school year.
    All told, we have requested more than $2 billion in Federal spending 
on math and science education for next year's budget. And if my math is 
correct--and with this crowd it better be--[laughter]--$768 million of 
that is for pre-college. That's an increase of 123 percent in the last 3 
years.
    But I believe that the single most important thing we in the Federal 
Government can do is to simply help you do your jobs. For instance, also 
in next year's budget, I have proposed an expanded program of federally 
assisted training for math and science teachers, in part using Federal 
labs, Federal laboratories and Federal personnel. Innovations like this 
will help us create a world-class corps of teachers.
    We also want to bring new technology into the classroom, so that 
kids can interact with astronauts and explorers and scientists; so rural 
schools can have access to state-of-the-art resources; and so all 
American kids can be exposed to the cutting edge technologies and ideas 
that will shape their future.
    The Federal Government can do a lot. We can do an awful lot, but we 
cannot do it all. Real excellence demands commitment

[[Page 434]]

from everyone in every community as we work to create a new generation 
of American schools. And together, we are literally going to reinvent 
the American school community by community, neighborhood by 
neighborhood, all across this country. You're showing us the way. You're 
leading. You're showing how we can break the mold, take our bearings by 
what works. And you're here today because you're not afraid to reach for 
excellence. And that's why I salute you all.
    I salute winners like Julie Csongor, of Philadelphia--where's Julie? 
Somewhere, right there--who fled the persecution of her native Hungary, 
unable to speak English. And now she gives of herself to a generation of 
American kids. And listen to this; she says, ``I have my cake in my 
classroom every day. This award is the icing.'' Welcome and 
congratulations. Well, I salute you, and I envy you. And you share in 
our kids' sheer joy of learning, of making something work, of 
understanding the world.
    Think of the scientist or engineer who will one day discover the 
cure for cancer or who will use technology to push back the frontiers of 
space, maybe wipe out hunger. Today that man or woman is a student, 
maybe in your classroom. A kid who will catch a spark from you, a spark 
that will change his life, change her world. That's your gift. A teacher 
affects a lifetime.
    I'm proud to be with you all here today because you demonstrate what 
it will take to make our students the best in the world. You encourage 
students by giving them direct hands-on experience. You foster curiosity 
not just in your students but also in their parents and in your 
colleagues. You still have the joy of discovery, the excitement of 
optimism. And you still ask questions and try new ways. Above all, you 
believe in your students and in the future of this country. And that is 
the spirit we all need.
    We all know the real rewards of teaching aren't their certificates 
that you received here, but they are something much more important. Sir 
Thomas More described it in the play ``A Man For All Seasons.'' At one 
point, he suggests to a young man that he would make a fine teacher. 
``And if I was,'' the boy asks, ``well, who would know about it?'' And 
Sir Thomas replies, ``You, your pupils, your friends, God; not a bad 
public, that.''
    Well, thank you all so much for what you do for the young people of 
this country. Thank you for your excellence. And on behalf of a very 
grateful country, let me just extend my personal thanks also. Keep up 
the good work and the good works. And may God bless you all. And now get 
out of this cold so you can thaw out. Thank you all for being here.

                    Note: The President spoke at 2:33 p.m. in the Rose 
                        Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Dr. Walter E. Massey, Director of 
                        the National Science Foundation; Dr. Eugene 
                        Wong, Associate Director for Physical Science 
                        and Engineering in the Office of Science and 
                        Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the 
                        President; and Julie Csongor, a geometry and 
                        calculus teacher at St. Maria Goretti High 
                        School in Philadelphia, PA.