Press Statement

Press Statement - May 3, 1999 Horizontal Rule

PS 99-4
Media contact:  Lee Herring  (703) 292-8070  kherring@nsf.gov

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See also: NSF Press Release,   Fact Sheet,   Key Findings of the PAEMST Survey

Statement by Dr. Rita Colwell
Director, National Science Foundation

Regarding 1998 Winners of Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

I want to congratulate the 208 winners of the 1998 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching on receiving the nation's highest honor for K-12 teachers. These teachers' effective classrooms in mathematics and science are a model for all who are working to improve the prospects of our children's future prosperity.

Every year the Presidential award creates the local equivalent of a math and science education "celebrity" within hundreds of school districts. Nationally known math and science teaching celebrities such as Bill Nye the Science Guy, Stephen Hawking, and the late Carl Sagan are familiar to our children and admired by them. Our society cherishes these notable figures for their work and devotion to math and science. Even the fictional Ms. Frizzle of the Magic School Bus educational science program is enthusiastically invited into the homes of tens of thousands of young children as part of their weekly television fare.

A teacher's receipt of the Presidential award helps link him or her to these national celebrities. This Presidential award establishes these teachers as national role models for educators to emulate, for students to admire, and for parents, administrators, and communities to nurture. Few life influences are more powerful in forming the social and intellectual development of a child than a role model such as an outstanding teacher.

Our nation's mathematics and science teachers are the primary sources of our children's learning in these subjects, but everyday our students learn about these subjects in subtle ways from many other sources. They learn about the value we as a society place on math and science by virtue of the respect,attention, and esteem we bestow upon mathematicians, scientists, and teachers through our social institutions and culture. The Presidential award clearly tells our students that our nation values their teacher's work, devotion, and commitment. We value their teacher's knowledge of math and science, but we also value their unique talent for conveying that knowledge to the next generation of mathematicians, engineers, and scientists. The award conveys these values to educational administrators, parents, and their local communities.

The performance of our teachers today largely defines the quality of our nation's future intellectual infrastructure and will have a direct impact on the quality of life and health of our children. Cultivating and recognizing exemplary math and science teachers is a commitment we at NSF will continue to make.

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