[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 17 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Pages 652-655]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the 2004 National and State Teachers of the Year

April 21, 2004

    Thank you all very much. Please be seated. Welcome to the Rose 
Garden.

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    I told you not to tell the Elvis story. [Laughter] She told it 
anyway, didn't she?
    Every President since Harry Truman has presented this award, Teacher 
of the Year Award. And there's a good reason for that. When you're in 
the company of some of the Nation's finest citizens, our greatest 
teachers, you're in the company of people who give their hearts and 
their careers to improving the lives of children. You're in the company 
of the best of our country.
    I want to congratulate the teachers who are here from around the 
country. It is a great experience for Laura and me to greet you in the 
Oval Office. I guess the word I would describe the teachers as they came 
through is, they're joyous people. There's such a joy that radiates on 
your face and in your character. And on behalf of our Nation, I want to 
thank you for what you do. You make a great contribution.
    In spite of the fact that she told the Elvis story, the best 
decision I made was to marry a teacher. Laura is a great First Lady for 
our country, and I'm really proud of her.
    Besides the distinguished teachers who are here, I see we've got 
some other distinguished citizens with us today. Gene Hickok is the 
Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education. Thank you for coming, 
Gene. I'm glad you're here.
    From the great State of Kansas, Senator Brownback and Congressman 
Dennis Moore--I'm honored you both are here. Thanks for coming. I 
appreciate the fact that Lindsey Graham from South Carolina is here and 
Congressman Gresham Barrett. Thank you both for coming. I see Maria 
Cantwell, Senator from the State of Washington, is with us today and 
Congressman George Nethercutt--appreciate you all being here.
    I appreciate so very much the Governor of the great State of Rhode 
Island, and the first lady, Sue, is with us. Thank you both for being 
here today--honored you took time to come. I'm confident our honoree is 
really pleased you're here.
    I appreciate the fact that Senator Chafee--Senator Linc Chafee and 
Senator Jack Reed have joined us. Thank you for coming. And Congressman 
Jim Langevin is with us as well. Good to see you, friend. I'm glad 
you're back.
    I also, too, want to congratulate the National Teacher of the Year 
finalists: Keil Hileman from DeSoto, Kansas; Jason Fulmer from 
Graniteville, South Carolina--you've been there, haven't you, Senator?--
that's good--[laughter]--Dennis Griner from Palouse, Washington; and of 
course, our honoree, Kathy Mellor.
    I also want to congratulate Kathy's family, Duke and her three 
children who have joined us today. I know there are some friends here 
with Kathy. Chris Sirr is with Kathy. She came all the way over, and I 
know there's other friends as well, and I'm honored that they would take 
time out of their lives to support their friend and honor their buddy in 
what is an important moment for our Nation, as we honor those who 
dedicate their lives to teaching.
    I want to thank Tom Houlihan, who is the executive director of the 
Council of Chief State School Officers. Ernie Fleishman, the senior vice 
president of education of Scholastic, Inc., thank you for being here. I 
want to thank the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic, 
Inc., for organizing this program. I also want to thank Peter McWalters, 
who's the chief state school officer of Rhode Island.
    Welcome, everybody. Thanks for coming.
    It is fitting we have this annual ceremony because teachers are 
charged with a great mission. You do the vital work of teaching our 
children. You give them the skills that will help them succeed. You lay 
the foundation for realizing the American Dream.
    You do more than that, though. You kindle imaginations. You foster a 
love for learning that can last a lifetime. What a fantastic gift to 
give a child. The best teachers treat every child with dignity and 
fairness and insist that their students treat others the same way. And 
through your encouragement and caring, you teach the students to respect 
themselves. To a child, it's a special feeling when a teacher knows your 
name and asks your opinion, cares what you think and gives you 
encouragement. For some students, unfortunately, you might be the only 
person who does that.
    Anyone who has visited the classroom can see that teaching demands 
poise and warmth and, oftentimes, extraordinary patience, as my fourth 
grade teacher had to show.

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[Laughter] Yet, only the family members of teachers know some of the 
other traits that define great teachers. They've seen you stay up late 
rewriting lesson plans. They've seen you seek new ways to advance your 
skills. They've seen you somehow summon the energy to make an after-
school game or a play. For you, teaching is not just a profession; it's 
a calling you have answered. And we thank you for that. We thank you 
from the bottom of our hearts.
    We ask a lot from our teachers, and you're right to expect a lot 
from society. I oftentimes say to people that if you're interested in 
being a responsible citizen and you're worried about the quality of the 
education in the community in which you live, do something about it. 
Support your schools. Support your teachers. Make a difference. As 
opposed to sitting on the outside complaining, get involved, help people 
search for excellence.
    State Government has got a responsibility as well. I used to say 
when I was Governor of Texas, education is to a State what defense is to 
the National Government. It's the most important priority. If people are 
worried about the quality of the education in the State in which they 
live, get your Governors to make education the number one priority of 
the State.
    And finally, the Federal Government has got a role to play as well. 
We've increased spending here by 43 percent. The next budget will make 
it 50 percent over the past 4 years. In other words, there's a role for 
the Federal Government. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, we're making 
sure that Federal money actually goes to help students learn.
    I love the spirit of the No Child Left Behind Act, by the way. It's 
what I call challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. You see, 
the reason you're Teachers of the Year is because you set high 
expectations. You know in your heart of hearts every child can learn. 
You're willing to raise that bar, to set high standards.
    I appreciate so very much the willingness for teachers also to use 
the accountability systems to determine whether or not what you're doing 
is working. It's a vital part of making sure that no child gets left 
behind. But make no mistake about it, we understand here in Washington 
that the people who really make student achievement possible are the 
good-hearted teachers who work hard every single day to make sure that 
no child is left behind. And that's why we honor you here in the Rose 
Garden.
    Our 2004 National Teacher of the Year is Kathy Mellor. She embodies 
the qualities that all students and parents hope for in a teacher. For 
nearly 20 years, Ms. Mellor has taught English as a second language in 
North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Kathy redesigned her district's ESL 
program to better integrate students with their English-speaking 
classmates, and the educational benefits of her innovation have been 
clear.
    As the parent of one of Mrs. Mellor's students wrote, ``My 
daughter's English improved unbelievably that year.'' Gosh, that must be 
the best words a teacher can hear: ``My daughter's English improved 
unbelievably that year.'' At the end of the year, she was able to finish 
her regular class assignments. The mom said, she's able to do so alone 
or with a little help from her.
    Ms. Mellor's creative approach extends well beyond the classroom. 
She applied for and received a grant to teach English to the mothers of 
her ESL students. What a great gift. What a caring soul. Working with 
two colleagues, Ms. Mellor taught a group of women for 2\1/2\ years. At 
the end of the program, the women's language skills and personal 
confidence were both vastly improved, and many went on to further 
education and to new jobs.
    Ms. Mellor's 19 years in North Kingstown has earned her the 
reputation for creativity and caring and consistent success. She's 
humble and generous, always willing to share credit with others and 
committed to serving as a mentor to every colleague. Because she 
understands the importance of her work, her energy and her spirit have 
never waned. As Kathy put it, ``After many years, I still look forward 
to Monday mornings. Working with this diverse community of learners and 
their supportive families is one of the most rewarding things I have 
ever done or ever could do.'' No wonder she's Teacher of the Year.
    Every teacher here has chosen a rewarding and optimistic profession. 
And the families

[[Page 655]]

of America are glad that people like you show up every Monday morning. I 
thank each of you for your skill and dedication. I thank you for being 
an integral part of making sure America is a hopeful and optimistic 
country for all.
    And now, it's my honor to introduce and to present this award to the 
National Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Kathy Mellor.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 11:16 a.m. in the Rose Garden 
at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Donald L. 
Carcieri of Rhode Island and his wife, Suzanne. The transcript released 
by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the 
First Lady, who introduced the President.