    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [November 22, 1999]
    [Page 2142]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
    Announcement of New Board-Certified Teachers
    November 22, 1999

        Today the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
    announced that 2,965 more teachers met the teaching profession's highest
    standards and achieved National Board certification. I want to
    congratulate them and commend all who applied for certification, for
    their personal commitment to high-quality education. These teachers
    represent all regions of the country; public and private schools; rural,
    urban, and suburban districts; and every grade from kindergarten through
    high school. Teachers who pursue these standards set a sterling example
    for their students and for our country.
        We all know that one of the most important factors behind a child's
    educational success is having a caring, competent, and committed
    teacher. That's why my administration has strongly supported the work of
    the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which has now
    certified nearly 5,000 of our most talented teachers. With today's
    announcement, we are on the way to meeting the challenge I have set:
    making sure we have a Board-certified teacher in every school in the
    Nation by 2006.