President Bush Announces 2004 National/State Teachers of the Year
Remarks by the President and the First Lady to the 2004 National and State Teachers of the Year
The Rose Garden
11:16 A.M. EDT
MRS. BUSH: Welcome everyone, welcome to the Rose Garden. This is
the perfect day to be here in the Rose Garden, and it's such a
wonderful opportunity for us to be able to honor great teachers from
all around our country. Congratulations to all of the teachers here
who have been chosen as the Teacher of the Year from your state. Thank
you for your dedication to America's children.
I also want to thank the members of Congress who are here with us
today. John Adams, the first President to live here in the White
House, was a congressman, but he was also a lawyer and a writer and a
teacher. But Adams didn't quite take to teaching. He once referred to
some of his students as "little runtlings." (Laughter.) I know none
of you have ever thought anything like that. (Laughter.)
But John Adams knew that education was vital for the development of
our country, and for the development of our character. He once said,
"There are two educations -- one should teach us how to make a living,
and the other should teach us how to live." And I know that every one
of you do both.
I know how rewarding and how challenging teaching can be and what a
remarkable difference a teacher can make in the life of a child. When
I was eight years old, I made the decision to become a teacher. My
mother said she knew I'd be a teacher when she heard me scolding my
dolls for not paying attention. (Laughter.) But I wanted to teach
because I loved school and I loved my 2nd grade teacher -- I wanted to
be just like her.
And, certainly, one of my most memorable days was my very first day
teaching. I had everything ready in the classroom: the pencils were
sharpened, the chairs were perfectly positioned, and then the children
walked in. Well, some walked in, some ran, and a few were pulled in by
their parents. (Laughter.) I had earned a teaching degree, but no
textbook could prepare me for the pressure of 20 sets of eyes staring
at me with total expectation. At 9:00 a.m. we started to work. We
recited the alphabet and numbers. We colored and we put together
puzzles. We read a few books. And a few more. And by 9:15 a.m., I'd
gone through my entire day's lesson plans. (Laughter and applause.)
Even if teachers don't fill every day with lesson plans, we know
that teachers fill children's lives with hope. Congratulations to
every one of you, and especially to the four finalists for the National
Teacher of the Year -- Jason Fulmer, Dennis Griner, Kyle Hileman, and
Kathy Mellor.
Each of you are remarkable teachers, and you're also role models
and friends, and sometimes even surrogate parents. You listen, you
challenge, you motivate and mentor. And you inspire children to
believe that they can do anything, or be anything they want -- even if
they dream of becoming Elvis - (laughter) -- which was one little boy's
hope who grew up in Midland, Texas. In the late 1950s, many children
across the country dreamed of being just like Elvis. (Laughter.) And
one little student found the inspiration to follow his dream in his 4th
grade music class.
One day, my mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, received a call from the
school principal, who said that George was in his office. She was
shocked. George was a perfect student who was well-behaved and earned
straight A's. She hurried to Sam Houston Elementary determined to give
the principal a piece of her mind. But Barbara had to bite her tongue
when the principal reported that George had disrupted his music class.
In true Elvis fashion, he'd taken a piece of charcoal and drawn
sideburns and then tried to perform for the other children.
(Laughter.)
America's teachers help prepare writers, and doctors, and even the
Elvises of tomorrow. Our next speaker never made it to the Ed Sullivan
Show, but this stage will have to do. Ladies and gentlemen, my
husband, President George W. Bush. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all, very much. Please be seated.
Welcome to the Rose Garden.
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 -- 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
who 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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: Kyle 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 --
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. (Applause.)
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 4th grade teacher had to show. (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. (Applause.)
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 four years. In other words,
there's a role for the federal government. Under the No Child Left
Behind, 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 softy 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 parents 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
two-and-a-half 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 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. (Applause.)