    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 17 (Monday, May 1, 2006)]
    [Pages 798-801]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    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

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    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.
        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.

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        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.
        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

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    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.
        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; Margaret Mayer,
    executive vice president and president, Scholastic Education; and Jerry
    D. Weast, superintendent of 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.