    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [April 26, 2006]
    [Pages 811-814]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring the 2006 National and State Teachers of the Year
    April 26, 2006

        I was going to say, thank you, Laura, for
    those kind remarks. [Laughter] Please be seated. Thank you all. Welcome.
        This is one of the great afternoons for Laura
    and me. We love to recognize our teachers. We really appreciate you
    coming. Actually, this is an annual event started by Harry Truman. And
    I'm glad to be a part of a tradition here at the White House, saying
    thanks to our teachers.
        I admire teachers and like teachers so much, I married one.
    [Laughter] Laura is a great advocate for literacy
    and a strong supporter for America's teachers, and I'm really proud to
    have her by my side during these unbelievable times and this great
    experience of serving our country--other than being a fine introducer.
    [Laughter]
        The thing I like about teaching is, teaching is such an optimistic
    profession. I know when teachers look out at their classrooms, you see
    more than a child at play or at study. You're able to see a child with
    big dreams and big hopes. You see future doctors and scientists and
    entrepreneurs and inventors, and I hope you see even a teacher or two.
        You dedicated your lives to the formation of young minds. You're
    giving our children the skills they need to succeed in life and equally
    important, the courage and the drive to realize those dreams. Our Nation
    is grateful for your hard work. We appreciate what you do, and we are
    honored you're here at the White House.
        I want to thank our Secretary of Education, Margaret
    Spellings. She's been a long-time friend.
    She believes strongly in the classroom teacher, and she believes in the
    potential of every child.
        I'm pleased to recognize Senator Sam Brownback, for the State of Kansas. Welcome. I'm glad you're here--
    and his wife, Mary; thank you for coming. As
    well as Congressman Dennis Moore from Kansas
    and Stephene, thank you all for taking time
    to honor the teachers who are here.
        I appreciate the National Teacher of the Year Finalists: Sam
    Bennett from Florida--say hello to
    the Governor--[laughter]--Ron Poplau of Kansas--no wonder you all are here--and Susan
    Barnard of Washington State. We're really glad
    you're here. Congratulations on setting such a fine example.
        Everybody here has been introduced to Kim Oliver, but you haven't met her parents, Vincent and Veronica. Thank you
    all very much--brothers, cousins, and significant other. [Laughter]
        I want to thank all the Teachers of the Year from around our country
    who are here. I really--Laura and I really
    enjoyed having our picture with you. It's just a brief moment to say
    thanks. But nevertheless, it's thanks from the bottom of our hearts. And
    it really means a lot you're here.

    [[Page 812]]

        I thank Dr. Tom Houlihan, who is the
    executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. That's
    one of the sponsoring organizations. Thank you for your service, Tom.
        Margery Mayer, of the Scholastic
    Education--Scholastic Inc. I want to thank Margery for being here.
    That's also a sponsoring organization of this event.
        Kathleen Murphy is the president of ING,
    is here with us, as well as Tom Waldron,
    who is the executive vice president. These are the sponsoring groups of
    this important occasion.
        I also want to thank the chief state school officers who are with
    us. Good to see you all. Nice going. Hiring and promoting good teachers
    is a really important part of your job. I want you to know that we know
    that being a teacher is difficult work. It's a hard job. It's a job that
    requires compassion and determination and extraordinary patience. And as
    Laura hinted, or maybe didn't hint, I was
    probably one of those kind that tested your patience. [Laughter]
        You're helping young people to learn the basics of reading and
    writing and adding and subtracting. You're serving as mentors and,
    probably most importantly, as role models. You help kindle young
    imaginations, and you inspire a love of learning. It's a pretty
    significant job description, when you think about it. And the teachers
    we honor here today are excelling at that job.
        Your daily efforts help young Americans grow into successful adults.
    In other words, you're building the future for the country. We ask a lot
    of our teachers, and we owe you a lot in return. Education is my top
    domestic priority. And when I first came to office, I worked with
    members of both political parties--believe it or not, it's possible here
    in Washington to occasionally do that--to increase funding from the
    Federal level but also to pass the No Child Left Behind Act. The spirit
    of the No Child Left Behind Act basically says, society has a deep
    obligation to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations, that we
    believe every child can learn, and therefore, we believe it makes sense
    to determine whether or not every child is learning. And if not, there
    ought to be extra help so that no child in our society is left behind.
        We're beginning to see good results, thanks to our Nation's
    teachers. The 2005 Nation's Report Card showed America's fourth graders
    are posting the best scores in reading and math in the history of the
    test. African American and Hispanic fourth graders set records in
    reading and math last year. America's eighth graders earned the best
    math scores ever recorded. Eighth grade Hispanic and African American
    students achieved their highest math scores ever. We're making really
    important strides toward closing an achievement gap in America, and I
    want to thank our teachers for your hard work.
        There's more work to be done, obviously. I've recently launched the
    American Competitiveness Initiative, which will help our students do
    better in math and science. We need to train 70,000 high school teachers
    to lead AP courses in math and science. I know we've got some AP
    teachers here, and I want to thank you for that.
        We need to bring 30,000 math and science professionals into our
    classrooms to send a message to our children: It's okay to be a
    mathematician or a scientist--as a matter of fact, it's cool. We want to
    make sure that we help students who struggle with math get extra help to
    make sure that--to make sure they have a chance to be able to earn the
    high-wage jobs of the 21st century. If we ensure that America's children
    have the skills they need to succeed in life, we will make sure America
    succeeds in the world.
        Improving the quality of education for young Americans requires good
    laws and good policies, but ultimately it depends on good teachers. And
    that is why we're here on the South Lawn, to honor really good teachers.

    [[Page 813]]

        The Teacher of the Year, Kim Oliver,
    teaches kindergarten at Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring,
    Maryland. Broad Acres is Montgomery County's highest poverty school, a
    place where 90 percent of the children qualify for federally-subsidized
    meals and about 75 percent have parents who do not speak English at
    home.
        It's a school filled with the kind of students that inspired Kim
    Oliver to become a teacher. Kim decided to
    become a teacher at a young age. It's really interesting for teachers to
    hear what she said. She said, ``As a young child, I loved and admired my
    day care teacher, Mrs. Chandler. I wanted
    to be just like her. Mrs. Chandler made me feel special, as if I were
    the only child in her class.''
        Kim Oliver had many friends growing up
    who came from unstable and impoverished homes. She says, ``I watched so
    many of my friends live up to the low expectations that were set for
    them. To this day, I find myself wondering, what if my disadvantaged
    friends had 12 years worth of Mrs. Chandlers in their lives?'' Kim went on to say, ``I chose to
    become a teacher to motivate and inspire the neediest students, who many
    have written off, and let them know they can achieve and succeed in life
    regardless of what the statistics may show.''
        I love that attitude. I think you're beginning to get the drift of
    why she's the Teacher of the Year. When Kim
    Oliver arrived at Broad Acres in 2000, the school was threatened with
    forced restructuring by the State as a result of poor academic
    performance. Ms. Oliver took a leadership role at the school. That's
    what good teachers do; they take the lead. She became a teacher-leader
    and helped lead a collaborative effort to improve the curriculum,
    instruction, and assessment. She helped establish instructional planning
    sessions and formal procedures to examine student work and improve
    student performance.
        She noticed that many parents at the
    school lacked the language skills to be able to read to their children
    and to be able to help with their school work. And so she and her
    colleagues purchased cassette players and recorded books on tape for the
    students to take home and share with their families, which made it a lot
    easier for parents who struggle with English to help their children.
        Kim Oliver also organized a regular
    ``Books and Supper Night,'' where families could check out books from
    the library and read together before sharing a dinner, which fostered
    learning and family involvement in their children's education. She knows
    what good teachers know: If you can get the parents involved in the
    child's education, you have a much better chance of succeeding. She set
    high expectations. Good teachers set high expectations. She provided
    needed assistance. She involved families, and she helped turn that
    school around.
        Within 2 years of her arrival, kindergarten students at Broad Acres
    were mastering early reading skills at higher rates than other schools
    in the district. After 3 years, Broad Acres students were meeting or
    exceeding all requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. There were
    dramatic increases in reading and math scores for the school's second
    graders.
        The Superintendent of Schools in Montgomery County says this about the impact Kim Oliver has had: ``She has a rare gift for touching hearts
    and minds, inspiring in her students to aim high and believe in their
    potential.'' A Broad Acres parent says, ``She
    knows how to talk to the children so they will listen.'' And all her
    students know that she cares about them. She made them all feel like
    they were smart and could learn anything. One of her colleagues says, ``When you walk into Ms. Oliver's classroom, one
    cannot help but notice that this is a special place.'' She is dedicated
    to her school community and committed to excellence, and she has been an
    instrumental force in improving student achievement at her school.

    [[Page 814]]

        Kim says the reason her students are
    achieving is simple: ``I have high expectations for each of them. I
    teach them that they can accomplish anything with hard work and
    persistence.''
        Kim Oliver understands that the key to
    helping children succeed is fighting the soft bigotry of low
    expectations. When a teacher believes that a child can learn, it's
    amazing what happens; a student believes that he or she can learn.
        America is blessed to have teachers like Kim Oliver. We're blessed to have teachers like all those who
    are gathered here at the White House. We thank you for the love and
    devotion you've shown our children each day.
        May God continue to bless your work, and may God continue to bless
    our country. Thank you for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 1:46 p.m. on the South Lawn
    at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Stephene Moore, wife
    of Congressman Dennis Moore; Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; Margery W. Mayer,
    executive vice president and president, Scholastic Education; and Jerry
    D. Weast, superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools. The
    transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included
    the remarks of the First Lady, who introduced the President.