For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 25, 2002
Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A. Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America's future depends in part on ensuring that every child in
America receives a quality education. And by teaching our
children the importance of serving those in need, we will help fulfill
an important part of their education, showing them the rewards that
come from compassionate outreach.
Education has always played a vital role in the success of our
Nation. It has provided hope through the principle that any citizen
can realize the American dream, regardless of background, ethnicity, or
faith.
By challenging young people to set high goals and to
work hard to achieve them, we prepare our youth to carry on the success
of the American story and to become leaders of this great
Nation. A core foundation of knowledge and values is
essential for students to excel and contribute to the well-being of our
communities, our country, and the world.
Parents are a child's first and most important teachers, and they
provide the cornerstone of a child's early
education. Quality teachers, however, also play an important
role in a child's personal and intellectual development.
The
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which I signed into law in January
2002, requires that, by the end of the 2005-06 school year, there must
be a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom. Through
this new law, States and school districts will have multiple tools to
help them meet the new teacher quality requirements.
Key
elements of this effort include providing State grants to recruit and
train teachers, and recruiting high-quality individuals to become
teachers, offering expanded student loan forgiveness for
teachers. And we must encourage Americans to volunteer their
time to serve as mentors to our young people.
Great teachers are also found outside the classroom, making a
positive impact on children and on local families. For
example, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe,
demonstrated the power of teaching others to pursue both intellectual
and moral excellence.
For this purpose, he established
education and outreach centers that offered social services and
humanitarian aid. Today, more than 1,400 of these centers
operate in 35 countries, meeting the spiritual and material needs of
local communities.
These beacons of hope communicate the
Rebbe's ideal of living a meaningful life through personal
responsibility and dedication to those in need.
On the 100th
anniversary of the Rebbe's birth, I encourage Americans to help teach
our young people. In classrooms, homes, and places of
worship, we can all make a lasting impact on individual children and
thus invest in our country as a whole.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 24, 2002, as Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., 2002.
I call on all Americans to help our young people
better understand the importance of character and develop a true love
of learning. By doing so, we invest in the future of our
country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first
day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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