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National Teacher of the Year 4/7/92 [OA 6100]
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Document No. 319429ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 04/04/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
----
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
(04/03 11:00 a.m.; draft two)
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
n
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
R
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
>
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
FINDLAY
GRAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwarded to the President.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
02 APR 3 P3:53
April 3, 1992
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
#
THROUGH:
DAVID DEMAREST
FROM:
BETH HINCHLIFFE BH
SUBJECT:
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
I. SUMMARY
On Tuesday, April 7, at 11:15 a.m., you will deliver remarks
(9 minutes, on cards) to an audience of approximately 200 people
gathered in the Rose Garden for the presentation of the 1992
National Teacher of the Year award.
II. DISCUSSION
Your remarks recognize the contribution of Thomas E. Fleming
-- a man who has devoted his life and his career to counseling
and guiding troubled youth. Additionally, you note that teachers
like Fleming are what this country needs to advance its
educational system into the next century.
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 3, 1992 11:00 a.m.
TEACHER Draft Two
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our
kids what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
Today, I want to share with you a story -- about a Detroit
kid brought up by his grandparents. He struggled in school --
was labeled a slow learner. When he dropped out of high school,
he couldn't read or write or spell. He didn't think that
mattered. But one day it did. His faith became tremendously
important to him and he wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't
-- he didn't know how. From that moment, he thought about what
it would really mean to take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he enrolled in night school to learn how to read -- and earn
his high school diploma. He went on to Bible College, while
working as a minister to kids like himself in northwest Detroit.
Here he found he had the power to touch and change lives. He
decided to become a teacher, and worked with forgotten kids at a
state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says to them: "Knowledge is power --
the more you know, the more you're worth." And in these "throw-
away" kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility -- enthusiasm
for learning -- and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to
respected civic and religious positions -- one even rebuilt Tom's
original youth club as a ministry of his own. And one, "Saturday
Night Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, more
than 20 years after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book
to Tom and to his colleague Anne Klein, who's also here today,
calling them "two teachers who made a difference." III
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
3
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who before had never been
able to read ask him for a book from the public library. But the
apple does symbolize the respect with which Tom's country views
him. And the apple reminds us of Tom's message: education is
important because every life can be redeemed -- every life
counts.
Whether you're concerned about the big issues that shape our
world -- or about the values close to home, education is a
fundamental part of the three precious legacies Americans take to
heart: Strong families. Good jobs. A world at peace.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families -- the loss of traditional values -- the lure of
crime and substance abuse -- the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and our utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational reform. At the heart of
it stand four transforming ideas. First, Flexibility for
Teachers and Principals -- freedom from the web of federal
regulations that impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our
schools. Second, a Generation of New American Schools -- a
break-the-mold experiment in what education can be. Third, World
5
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us ... are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do --
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
And now I have something special for you. The apple is the
traditional symbol of teaching -- and crystal represents the
clarity of vision and commitment that great teachers possess. On
behalf of a grateful and admiring nation, Tom -- congratulations.
#
#
#
#
#
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 : 4- 2-92 ; 6:11PM ;
OPD->
2024566218:# 1
Document No. 319429ss
92 APR 2 P6: 19
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
4/2/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/2/92 COB
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, 4/7/92 - 11:15 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than COB, TODAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, with a copy
to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
Paul KorEonta PK CAll comments from Education)
See comments. Thanks.
MASTER
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 4- 2-92 ; 6:11PM ;
OPD->
2024566218:# 2
APR-02-1992 18:03 FROM
TO
94562223
P.02
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 4- 2-92 : 2:57PM :
OPD+
1# 2
(Barrietion) *mention that this is the fourth year we've honored the
Teacher of theyear.
MICKELB-PRES
(Ninchliffe/Nix)
April 2, 1993 9 p.m.
02 APR 2
TEACHER Draft One
BEGIN let's
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11115 A.M.
reference so,
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
whyl
have made it a clear goal for our nation for every
teachers are our protectors." That's true. By teaching our kids
NO.
community in America -- to create excellent schools and a
STET
what we learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
culture that fosters lifelong learning.
I want to share a story -- about (BT) & Detroit kid brought up by
his grandparents. He struggled in school -- was labeled a slow
learner. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read or
write or spall. He didn't think that mattered. But one day it
did. His faith became tremendously important to him and he
wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't -- he didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really mean to
take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he went to night school for two years to learn how to read -
- and earn his high school diplema. He went on for seven more
years to sible College, while working as a minister to kids in
the ghetto. Here he found he had the power to touch and change
lives. Re decided to become a teacher. He began by working with
forgotten kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
NT.BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 4- 2-92 ; 6:12PM ;
OPD-
2024566218:# 3
APR-02-1992 18:04 FROM
TO
94562223 P.03
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 1 4- 2-92 1 2:58PM ;
OPD+
i# 3
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
henor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. TO
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says: "Knowledge is power -- the more
you know, the more you're worth." And in these susplcious threw
AVAY 7169 he instills pride.
THIS DOESNT
MAKE SENSE,
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. No wants something ITS AWFULLY
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
NEGATIVE.
future forged out of new personal responsibility; enthusiaem for
learning; and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to respected
civic and religious positions -- one even took over Tom's
original inner-city youth ministry. And one, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, 20 years
after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book to Tom for
the difference this man had made in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who'd never been able to
SENT. BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 4- 2-92 ; 6:13PM ;
OPD->
2024566218:# 4
APR-02-1992 18:04 FROM
TO
94562223
P.04
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 : 4- 2-92 ; 2:58PM :
OPD-
:# 4
3
read ask for a book from the public library. But the apple does
symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the
apple reminds us of his massage: education is important because
every life can be redeemed -- every life counts.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Flaming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families; the loss of traditional values; the lure of crime
and substance abuse; the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution ww for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and the utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
REFORM
revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. At the heart
transforming ideas
of it stand four key reforms. First, Flexibility for Teachers
PRINCIPALE
and Principles
freedom from the web of federal regulations that
impose & ons-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, &
an effor + to
Generation of New American Schools --^# break-the-mold experiment
and envision
ARLS
$ what education san be. Third, World Class standards and
Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise our sights and
measure our performance. Fourth and finally, Parental Choice of
--giving more of the same choices to Low- and middle come
schoolex yundde, private, religious. our plan is innovative; families wealthier that
STET
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work. already tamilies have.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
⑉⑉ a generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 4- 2-92 ; 6:13PM ;
OPD-
2024566218:# 5
APR-02-1992 18:05 FROM
TO
94562223
P.05
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 : 4- 2-92 : 2:58PM ;
OPD-
:# 5
4
changing world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we
know our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence decands
commitment from everyone in every community as yes work to create
communities where learning can happen
AL -
It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups form join together
see note
partnerships to support local schools. It demands that every cit-
isen helping his or her community develop a plan of action based
and help the nation reach the National Education Goals.
on America 2000: our new Declaration of Excellence
Together, ye will reinvent the American school community by
we Really
DON'T LIKE
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
this.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
the
always the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
minage gotth
of his childhood. He said: "all of us are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the DOWER
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you da:
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
partnerships"- we don't use this word because its too namowa concept.
one business helping one school doesn't change anything. that's
what a partnership has came to mean.
Document No. 319429ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 2 All: 37
DATE:
4/2/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/2/92 COB
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, 4/7/92 - 11:15 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE by phone
DARMAN NK
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO N/C
ROLLINS N/C
SMITH N/C
DEMAREST
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY 2896 Lund N/C
FINDLAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than COB, TODAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, with a copy
to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 2, 1992 9 p.m.
82 APR 2 AID: 55
TEACHER Draft One
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our kids
what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
I want to share a story -- about a Detroit kid brought up by
his grandparents. He struggled in school -- was labeled a slow
learner. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read or
write or spell. He didn't think that mattered. But one day it
did. His faith became tremendously important to him and he
wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't -- he didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really mean to
take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he went to night school for two years to learn how to read -
- and earn his high school diploma. He went on for seven more
years to Bible College, while working as a minister to kids in
the ghetto. Here he found he had the power to touch and change
lives. He decided to become a teacher. He began by working with
forgotten kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says: "Knowledge is power -- the more
you know, the more you're worth." And in these suspicious throw-
away kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility; enthusiasm for
learning; and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to respected
civic and religious positions -- one even took over Tom's
original inner-city youth ministry. And one, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, 20 years
after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book to Tom for
the difference this man had made in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who'd never been able to
3
read ask for a book from the public library. But the apple does
symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the
apple reminds us of his message: education is important because
every life can be redeemed -- every life counts.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families; the loss of traditional values; the lure of crime
and substance abuse; the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and the utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. At the heart
of it stand four key reforms. First, Flexibility for Teachers
and Principles: freedom from the web of federal regulations that
impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, A
Generation of New American Schools -- a break-the-mold experiment
in what education can be. Third, World Class Standards and
Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise our sights and
measure our performance. Fourth and finally, Parental Choice of
Schools -- public, private, religious. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a
4
changing world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we
know our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
a new generation of American schools. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups form
partnerships to support local schools. It demands that every cit-
izen helping his or her community develop a plan of action based
on America 2000: our new Declaration of Educational Excellence.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us
are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do:
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 3, 1992
26
MEMORANDUM FOR DAN McGROARTY
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER DH FOR
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: National Teacher of
Year
3 P2:01 POP the
We have reviewed the attached remarks and have noted a few
suggested changes on pages two and four of the draft.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if we may
help in any other way.
CC: Phillip D. Brady
Document No. 319429ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
RAE
DATE:
4/2/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/2/92 COB
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, 4/7/92 - 11:15 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than COB, TODAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, with a copy
to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 2, 1992 9 p.m.
¥2 APR 2 AIO 55
TEACHER Draft One
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our kids
what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
I want to share a story -- about a Detroit kid brought up by
his grandparents. He struggled in school -- was labeled a slow
learner. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read or
write or spell. He didn't think that mattered. But one day it
did. His faith became tremendously important to him and he
wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't -- he didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really mean to
take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he went to night school for two years to learn how to read -
- and earn his high school diploma. He went on for seven more
years to Bible College, while working as a minister to kids in
the ghetto. Here he found he had the power to touch and change
lives. He decided to become a teacher. He began by working with
forgotten kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says: "Knowledge is power -- the more
you know, the more you're worth." And in these suspicious throw-
away kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility; enthusiasm for
learning; and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to respected
civic and religious positions -- one even took over Tom's
original inner-city youth ministry. And one, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, 20 years
after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book to Tom for
the difference this man had made in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who'd never been able to
+
this phrase might be taken out of context
possibly delete?
3
read ask for a book from the public library. But the apple does
symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the
apple reminds us of his message: education is important because
every life can be redeemed -- every life counts.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families; the loss of traditional values; the lure of crime
and substance abuse; the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and the utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. At the heart
of it stand four key reforms. First, Flexibility for Teachers
and Principles: freedom from the web of federal regulations that
impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, A
Generation of New American Schools -- a break-the-mold experiment
in what education can be. Third, World Class Standards and
Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise our sights and
measure our performance. Fourth and finally, Parental Choice of
Schools -- public, private, religious. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a
4
changing world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we
know our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
a new generation of American schools. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups form
with teachers and parents
partnerships to support local schools. It demands that every cit-
help our students succeed in school.
izen helping his or her community develop a plan of action based
OBÉ
on America 2000: our new Declaration of Educational Excellence.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
X
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do:
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
a
anecdole
(
adverse affect
as familied
grant
back Moldonald
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 3, 1992
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
#
THROUGH:
DAVID DEMAREST
FROM:
BETH HINCHLIFFE BH
SUBJECT:
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
I. SUMMARY
On Tuesday, April 7, at 11:15 a.m., you will deliver remarks
(9 minutes, on cards) to an audience of approximately 200 people
gathered in the Rose Garden for the presentation of the 1992
National Teacher of the Year award.
II. DISCUSSION
Your remarks recognize the contribution of Thomas E. Fleming
-- a man who has devoted his life and his career to counseling
and guiding troubled youth. Additionally, you note that teachers
like Fleming are what this country needs to advance its
educational system into the next century.
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 3, 1992 11:00 a.m.
TEACHER Draft Two
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our
kids what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
Today, I want to share with you a story -- about a Detroit
kid brought up by his grandparents. He struggled in school --
was labeled a slow learner. When he dropped out of high school,
he couldn't read or write or spell. He didn't think that
mattered. But one day it did. His faith became tremendously
important to him and he wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't
-- he didn't know how. From that moment, he thought about what
it would really mean to take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he enrolled in night school to learn how to read -- and earn
his high school diploma. He went on to Bible College, while
working as a minister to kids like himself in northwest Detroit.
Here he found he had the power to touch and change lives. He
decided to become a teacher, and worked with forgotten kids at a
state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says to them: "Knowledge is power --
the more you know, the more you're worth." And in these "throw-
away" kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility -- enthusiasm
for learning -- and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to
respected civic and religious positions -- one even rebuilt Tom's
original youth club as a ministry of his own. And one, "Saturday
Night Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, more
than 20 years after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book
to Tom and to his colleague Anne Klein, who's also here today,
calling them "two teachers who made a difference." 111
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
3
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who before had never been
able to read ask him for a book from the public library. But the
apple does symbolize the respect with which Tom's country views
him. And the apple reminds us of Tom's message: education is
important because every life can be redeemed -- every life
counts.
Whether you're concerned about the big issues that shape our
world -- or about the values close to home, education is a
fundamental part of the three precious legacies Americans take to
heart: Strong families. Good jobs. A world at peace.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families -- the loss of traditional values -- the lure of
crime and substance abuse -- the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and our utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational reform. At the heart of
it stand four transforming ideas. First, Flexibility for
Teachers and Principals -- freedom from the web of federal
regulations that impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our
schools. Second, a Generation of New American Schools -- a
break-the-mold experiment in what education can be. Third, World
4
Class Standards and Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise
our sights and measure our performance. Fourth and finally,
Parental Choice of Schools -- public, private, religious. Our
plan is innovative; it's exciting; it's uniting this country --
and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. That's why education is one of the five urgent
reform challenges I've been talking about. We know we've got to
be competitive in a changing world. We can't go on sending our
children into the working world under-educated and ill-equipped -
- and expect the business community to spend billions teaching
new workers what they should have learned in school. Status quo
schools won't carry us into the next century. We set our goals
for the year 2000 because we know our economic health -- our
economic survival -- depend on how we educate ourselves to face
the challenges a new century will bring.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
communities where learning can happen. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups join
together to support local schools. It demands that every citizen
help his community develop a plan of action based on America 2000
-- and help the nation reach the National Education Goals.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
5
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us ... are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do --
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
And now I have something special for you. The apple is the
traditional symbol of teaching -- and crystal represents the
clarity of vision and commitment that great teachers possess. On
behalf of a grateful and admiring nation, Tom -- congratulations.
#
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 3, 1992
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
#
THROUGH:
DAVID DEMAREST
FROM:
BETH HINCHLIFFE BH
SUBJECT:
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
I. SUMMARY
On Tuesday, April 7, at 11:15 a.m., you will deliver remarks
(9 minutes, on cards) to an audience of approximately 200 people
gathered in the Rose Garden for the presentation of the 1992
National Teacher of the Year award.
II. DISCUSSION
Your remarks recognize the contribution of Thomas E. Fleming
-- a man who has devoted his life and his career to counseling
and guiding troubled youth. Additionally, you note that teachers
like Fleming are what this country needs to advance its
educational system into the next century.
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 3, 1992 11:00 a.m.
TEACHER Draft Two
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our
kids what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
Today, I want to share with you a story -- about a Detroit
kid brought up by his grandparents. He struggled in school --
was labeled a slow learner. When he dropped out of high school,
he couldn't read or write or spell. He didn't think that
mattered. But one day it did. His faith became tremendously
important to him and he wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't
-- he didn't know how. From that moment, he thought about what
it would really mean to take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he enrolled in night school to learn how to read -- and earn
his high school diploma. He went on to Bible College, while
working as a minister to kids like himself in northwest Detroit.
Here he found he had the power to touch and change lives. He
decided to become a teacher, and worked with forgotten kids at a
state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says to them: "Knowledge is power --
the more you know, the more you're worth." And in these "throw-
away" kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility -- enthusiasm
for learning -- and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to
respected civic and religious positions -- one even rebuilt Tom's
original youth club as a ministry of his own. And one, "Saturday
Night Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, more
than 20 years after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book
to Tom and to his colleague Anne Klein, who's also here today,
calling them "two teachers who made a difference." 111
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
3
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who before had never been
able to read ask him for a book from the public library. But the
apple does symbolize the respect with which Tom's country views
him. And the apple reminds us of Tom's message: education is
important because every life can be redeemed -- every life
counts.
Whether you're concerned about the big issues that shape our
world -- or about the values close to home, education is a
fundamental part of the three precious legacies Americans take to
heart: Strong families. Good jobs. A world at peace.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families -- the loss of traditional values -- the lure of
crime and substance abuse -- the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and our utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational reform. At the heart of
it stand four transforming ideas. First, Flexibility for
Teachers and Principals -- freedom from the web of federal
regulations that impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our
schools. Second, a Generation of New American Schools -- a
break-the-mold experiment in what education can be. Third, World
4
Class Standards and Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise
our sights and measure our performance. Fourth and finally,
Parental Choice of Schools -- public, private, religious. Our
plan is innovative; it's exciting; it's uniting this country ---
and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. That's why education is one of the five urgent
reform challenges I've been talking about. We know we've got to
be competitive in a changing world. We can't go on sending our
children into the working world under-educated and ill-equipped -
- and expect the business community to spend billions teaching
new workers what they should have learned in school. Status quo
schools won't carry us into the next century. We set our goals
for the year 2000 because we know our economic health -- our
economic survival -- depend on how we educate ourselves to face
the challenges a new century will bring.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
communities where learning can happen. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups join
together to support local schools. It demands that every citizen
help his community develop a plan of action based on America 2000
-- and help the nation reach the National Education Goals.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
5
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us ... are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do --
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
And now I have something special for you. The apple is the
traditional symbol of teaching -- and crystal represents the
clarity of vision and commitment that great teachers possess. On
behalf of a grateful and admiring nation, Tom -- congratulations.
#
#
#
#
#
SENT BY:Xerox lelecopier 7020 ; 4- 2-92 ; 3:36PM ;
4562983->
2024566218:# 1
Document No. 319429ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
4/2/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/2/92 COB
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, 4/7/92 - 11:15 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMARES
SMITH
FITZWATER
YEUTTER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than COB, TODAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, with a copy
to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
very nice $
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
Petersmager
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 2, 1992 9 p.m.
TEACHER Draft One
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers That's why are our al "protectors. have made That's it true. a clear By teaching goal our for kids
what our we ve nation learned, and for by teaching every them community to dream, teachers in America-
to created ycellent Schools and a culture that
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
fosters I want to lifelong share learning
a story -- about a Detroit kid brought up by
his grandparents. He struggled in school -- was labeled a slow
learner. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read or
write or spell. He didn't think that mattered. But one day it
did. His faith became tremendously important to him and he
wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't -- he didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really mean to
take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he went to night school for two years to learn how to read -
- and earn his high school diploma. He went on for seven more
years to Bible College, while working as a minister to kids in
the ghetto. Here he found he had the power to touch and change
lives. He decided to become a teacher. He began by working with
forgotten kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says: "Knowledge is power -- the more
you know, the more you're worth." And in these suspicious throw-
away kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility; enthusiasm for
learning; and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to respected
civic and religious positions -- one even took over Tom's
original inner-city youth ministry. And one, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, 20 years
after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book to Tom for
the difference this man had made in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who'd never been able to
3
read ask for a book from the public library. But the apple does
symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the
apple reminds us of his message: education is important because
every life can be redeemed -- every life counts.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families; the loss of traditional values; the lure of crime
and substance abuse; the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and the utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. At the heart
of it stand four key reforms. First, Flexibility for Teachers
and Principles: freedom from the web of federal regulations that
impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, A
Generation of New American Schools -- a break-the-mold experiment
in what education can be. Third, World Class Standards and
Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise our sights and
measure our performance. Fourth and finally, Parental Choice of
Schools -- public, private, religious. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a
4
changing world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we
know our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
a new generation of American schools. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups form
partnerships to support local schools. It demands that every cit-
izen helping his or her community develop a plan of action based
on America 2000: our new Declaration of Educational Excellence.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us
are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do:
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
Document No. 319429ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 APR 2 P5: 32
DATE:
4/2/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/2/92 COB
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, 4/7/92 - 11:15 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than COB, TODAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, with a copy
to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
NO LEGAL OBJECTION.
Nelson Lund
Associate Counsel wf to the President
April 2, 1992
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
Document No. 319429ss
92 WHITE P6: P6:01 HOUSE
STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
4/2/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: TODAY, 4/2/92 COB
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, 4/7/92 - 11:15 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
YEUTTER
FITZWATER
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
KAUFMAN
FIRESTONE
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than COB, TODAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, with a copy
to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
Good - - a few thoughts.
BT for SR
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
Mention that this is the fourth year
we're honoring the Teacher (Hinchliffe/Nix) of the Year,
April 2, 1992 9 p.m.
82 APR 2 A10: 55
TEACHER Draft One
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our kids
what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
I want to share a story -- about a Detroit kid brought up by
his grandparents. He struggled in school -- was labeled a slow
learner. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read or
write or spell. He didn't think that mattered. But one day it
did. His faith became tremendously important to him and he
wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't -- he didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really mean to
take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he went to night school for two years to learn how to read -
- and earn his high school diploma. He went on for seven more
years to Bible College, while working as a minister to kids in
the ghetto. Here he found he had the power to touch and change
lives. He decided to become a teacher. He began by working with
forgotten kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says: "Knowledge is power -- the more
you know, the more you're worth." And in these
kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility; enthusiasm for
learning; and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to respected
civic and religious positions -- one even took over Tom's
original inner-city youth ministry. And one, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, 20 years
after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book to Tom for
the difference this man had made in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who'd never been able to
3
read ask for a book from the public library. But the apple does
symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the
apple reminds us of his message: education is important because
every life can be redeemed -- every life counts.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families; the loss of traditional values; the lure of crime
and substance abuse; the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and the utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. At the heart
of it stand four key reforms. First, Flexibility for Teachers
als
and Principles: freedom from the web of federal regulations that
impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, A
Generation of New American Schools -- a break-the-mold experiment
in what education can be. Third, World Class Standards and
Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise our sights and
measure our performance. Fourth and finally, Parental Choice of
Schools -- public, private, religious. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a
4
changing world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we
know our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
a new generation of American schools. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups form
partnerships to support local schools. It demands that every cit-
izen helping his or her community develop a plan of action based
on America 2000: our new Declaration of Educational Excellence.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us
are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear.' "
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do:
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 2, 1992 9 p.m.
TEACHER Draft One
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thank the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's children. There's no calling
greater than a teacher's, because there's nothing more precious
than what they touch -- the minds of our youth. The Talmud says
teachers are our "protectors." That's true. By teaching our kids
what we've learned, and by teaching them to dream, teachers
protect the treasures of our past and the promise of our future.
I want to share a story -- about a Detroit kid brought up by
his grandparents. He struggled in school -- was labeled a slow
learner. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read or
write or spell. He didn't think that mattered. But one day it
did. His faith became tremendously important to him and he
wanted to read the Bible, but he couldn't -- he didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really mean to
take charge of his life.
That moment changed his life. Five years after he dropped
out, he went to night school for two years to learn how to read -
- and earn his high school diploma. He went on for seven more
years to Bible College, while working as a minister to kids in
the ghetto. Here he found he had the power to touch and change
lives. He decided to become a teacher. He began by working with
forgotten kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
2
There's an old saying: "Whoever would be a teacher of men,
let him begin by teaching himself before teaching others -- and
let him set an example before teaching by word." That's exactly
what the young man of that story did -- and we're here today to
honor him as the 1992 Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming.
Tom is a hero -- a man of strength, courage and great heart.
For the last 20 years, as lead teacher in the Washtenaw County
Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history, government and
geography to youths aged 12-16. But he teaches much more. To
kids who've had the hope drained out of them by a vicious cycle
of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, and crime -- he gives life-
training. Here's what he says: "Knowledge is power -- the more
you know, the more you're worth." And in these suspicious throw-
away kids he instills pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids. He wants something
more important -- a future. In his classroom, it will be a
future forged out of new personal responsibility; enthusiasm for
learning; and hope. Some of his kids have gone on to respected
civic and religious positions -- one even took over Tom's
original inner-city youth ministry. And one, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many when, 20 years
after being in his classroom, he dedicated his book to Tom for
the difference this man had made in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
Tom as his other rewards -- seeing the first spark of light in a
kid's eye -- or even just having a kid who'd never been able to
3
read ask for a book from the public library. But the apple does
symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the
apple reminds us of his message: education is important because
every life can be redeemed -- every life counts.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom
Fleming sees the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown
of families; the loss of traditional values; the lure of crime
and substance abuse; the dead-end of unemployment and
hopelessness. But he knows that good teachers will help us find
a solution -- for with every student you teach -- you shape a
future, you touch a lifetime.
But teachers can't exist in isolation. Our tremendous
respect for them, and the utter conviction that education is the
key to our country's future, led us to develop America 2000: our
revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. At the heart
of it stand four key reforms. First, Flexibility for Teachers
and Principles: freedom from the web of federal regulations that
impose a one-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, A
Generation of New American Schools -- a break-the-mold experiment
in what education can be. Third, World Class Standards and
Voluntary National Exams -- to help us raise our sights and
measure our performance. Fourth and finally, Parental Choice of
Schools -- public, private, religious. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste
-- a generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a
4
changing world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we
know our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him will help us
meet those challenges. Teachers know that real excellence demands
commitment from everyone in every community as we work to create
a new generation of American schools. It demands that talented
men and women give time to become tutors and mentors. It demands
that businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups form
partnerships to support local schools. It demands that every cit-
izen helping his or her community develop a plan of action based
on America 2000: our new Declaration of Educational Excellence.
Together, we will reinvent the American school community by
community, neighborhood by neighborhood, all across this country.
And at the heart of this shining new school will be -- as
always -- the teacher. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George
Lucas might have captured it best, when he thanked the teachers
of his childhood. He said: "all of us
are teachers,
teachers with very loud voices, but we will never match the power
of the teacher who is able to whisper in a student's ear."
Tom -- on behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and
priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear
-- congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters most.
There's no distinction between who you are and what you do:
you've woven the values of your life into your work. Thank you,
Tom -- and may God bless you.
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR \ ROSE GARDEN
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 \ 11:15 A.M.
THANK YOU, LAMAR. WELCOME TO THE ROSE GARDEN,
EVERYBODY -- IN ADDITION TO OUR SECRETARY OF EDUCATION,
I'M GLAD TO SEE GORDON AMBACH OF THE COUNCIL OF CHIEF
STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS; SUPERINTENDENTS ROBERT SCHILLER
AND MICHAEL EMLAW FROM MICHIGAN; ALL YOU KIDS FROM
JEFFERSON JUNIOR HIGH AND SAINT RITA'S SCHOOL; AND, OF
COURSE, THE FOLKS I JUST HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET IN
THE OVAL OFFICE -- ToM, DIANE, AND MALCOLM FLEMING AND
DIANE'S MOTHER JOSEPHINE ROSINSKI. 11
- 2 -
WE'RE ALL HERE TODAY To SALUTE AND THANK THE
THOUSANDS OF OUTSTANDING MEN AND WOMEN WHO EDUCATE THIS
NATION'S CHILDREN. THERE'S NO CALLING GREATER THAN A
TEACHER'S, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN
WHAT THEY TOUCH -- THE MINDS OF OUR YOUTH. 11
THE TALMUD SAYS TEACHERS ARE OUR "PROTECTORS."
THAT'S TRUE. BY TEACHING OUR KIDS WHAT WE'VE LEARNED -
- AND BY TEACHING THEM TO DREAM -- TEACHERS PROTECT THE
TREASURES OF OUR PAST AND THE PROMISE OF OUR FUTURE.
- 3 -
TODAY, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A STORY -- ABOUT A
DETROIT KID BROUGHT UP BY HIS GRANDPARENTS, GORDON AND
CARRIE BELL STARKS. HE STRUGGLED IN SCHOOL -- WAS
LABELED A SLOW LEARNER.
WHEN HE DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, HE COULDN'T
READ OR WRITE OR SPELL. HE DIDN'T THINK THAT MATTERED.
BUT ONE DAY IT DID. HIS FAITH BECAME TREMENDOUSLY
IMPORTANT TO HIM AND HE WANTED TO READ THE BIBLE, BUT
HE COULDN'T -- HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW.
- 4 -
FROM THAT MOMENT, HE THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD
REALLY MEAN TO TAKE CHARGE OF HIS LIFE.
THAT MOMENT CHANGED HIS LIFE. FIVE YEARS AFTER HE
DROPPED OUT, HE ENROLLED IN NIGHT SCHOOL TO LEARN HOW
TO READ HIS BIBLE -- AND EARN HIS HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
HE WENT ON TO BIBLE COLLEGE, WHILE WORKING AS A
MINISTER TO KIDS LIKE HIMSELF IN NORTHWEST DETROIT.
HERE HE FOUND HE HAD THE POWER TO TOUCH AND CHANGE
LIVES.
- 5 -
HE DECIDED TO BECOME A TEACHER, AND WORKED WITH
FORGOTTEN KIDS AT A STATE INSTITUTION FOR JUVENILE
OFFENDERS.
THERE'S AN OLD SAYING: "WHOEVER WOULD BE A TEACHER
OF MEN, LET HIM BEGIN BY TEACHING HIMSELF BEFORE
TEACHING OTHERS -- AND LET HIM SET AN EXAMPLE BEFORE
TEACHING BY WORD." 11 THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE YOUNG
MAN OF THAT STORY DID -- AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO HONOR
HIM AS THE 1992 TEACHER OF THE YEAR -- THOMAS FLEMING.
- 6 -
ToM IS A HERO -- A MAN OF STRENGTH, COURAGE AND
GREAT HEART. FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, AS LEAD TEACHER IN
THE WASHTENAW COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION PROGRAM, HE'S
TAUGHT HISTORY, GOVERNMENT AND GEOGRAPHY To KIDS AGE
12-16.
BUT HE TEACHES MUCH MORE. To KIDS WHO'VE HAD THE
HOPE DRAINED OUT OF THEM BY A VICIOUS CYCLE OF ABUSE,
NEGLECT, FAILURE, DRUGS, AND CRIME -- HE GIVES LIFE-
TRAINING. HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS TO THEM: "KNOWLEDGE IS
POWER -- THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU'RE WORTH."
- 7 -
IN THESE "THROW-AWAY" KIDS HE INSTILLS PRIDE.
ToM DOESN'T WANT THE MOON FOR HIS KIDS. HE WANTS
SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT -- A FUTURE. IN HIS
CLASSROOM, IT WILL BE A FUTURE FORGED OUT OF NEW
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY -- ENTHUSIASM FOR LEARNING --
AND HOPE.
SOME OF HIS KIDS HAVE GONE ON TO RESPECTED CIVIC
AND RELIGIOUS POSITIONS -- ONE EVEN REBUILT TOM'S
ORIGINAL YOUTH CLUB AS A MINISTRY OF HIS OWN.
- 8 -
AND ONE OF HIS KIDS, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" COMEDIAN A.
WHITNEY BROWN, IS HERE WITH US TODAY -- WHERE ARE YOU,
WHITNEY? 11 WHITNEY SPOKE FOR MANY OF TOM'S KIDS
WHEN, MORE THAN 20 YEARS AFTER BEING IN HIS CLASSROOM,
HE DEDICATED HIS BOOK "THE BIG PICTURE" TO ToM AND TO
HIS COLLEAGUE ANNE KLEIN, WHO'S ALSO HERE TODAY. HE
CALLED THEM "TWO TEACHERS WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE." III
- 9 -
I HAVE A FEELING THIS CRYSTAL APPLE ISN'T AS
IMPORTANT TO ToM AS HIS OTHER REWARDS -- SEEING THE
FIRST SPARK OF LIGHT IN A KID'S EYE -- OR EVEN JUST
HAVING A KID, WHO NEVER BEFORE HAD BEEN ABLE TO READ,
ASK HIM FOR A BOOK FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
BUT THE APPLE DOES SYMBOLIZE THE RESPECT WITH WHICH
TOM'S COUNTRY VIEWS HIM. AND THE APPLE REMINDS US OF
TOM'S MESSAGE: EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE EVERY
LIFE CAN BE REDEEMED -- EVERY LIFE COUNTS. III
- 10 -
WHETHER YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE BIG ISSUES THAT
SHAPE OUR WORLD -- OR ABOUT THE VALUES CLOSE TO HOME,
EDUCATION IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE THREE PRECIOUS
LEGACIES AMERICANS TAKE TO HEART: STRONG FAMILIES.
GOOD JOBS. A WORLD AT PEACE.
EVERY DAY, ON THE MOST INTENSE AND PERSONAL LEVEL,
ToM FLEMING SEES THE HEART OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE:
THE BREAKDOWN OF FAMILIES -- THE LOSS OF TRADITIONAL
VALUES -- THE LURE OF CRIME AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE -- THE
DEAD-END OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND HOPELESSNESS.
- 11 .
BUT HE KNOWS THAT GOOD TEACHERS WILL HELP US FIND A
SOLUTION -- FOR WITH EVERY STUDENT YOU TEACH -- YOU
SHAPE A FUTURE, YOU TOUCH A LIFETIME. III
BUT TEACHERS CAN'T EXIST IN ISOLATION. OUR
TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR THEM, AND OUR UTTER CONVICTION
THAT EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE, LED
US TO DEVELOP AMERICA 2000 -- OUR REVOLUTIONARY
BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATIONAL REFORM.
- 12 -
IT WILL LEAD US TO REACH OUR SIX NATIONAL EDUCATION
GOALS: ADOPTED MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO IN AN
EXTRAORDINARY NONPARTISAN, FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIP BY
THE NATION'S GOVERNORS AND THIS ADMINISTRATION.
LET ME REMIND YOU OF THESE SIX GOALS, WHICH WILL
PROPEL THIS NATION FORWARD INTO EXCELLENCE. BY THE
YEAR 2000 -- OUR CHILDREN WILL START SCHOOL READY TO
LEARN.
\
AMERICA'S STUDENTS WILL ACHIEVE AT LEAST A
90% HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE.
- 13 -
THEY WILL DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCE IN FIVE CORE SUBJECTS
MEASURED AGAINST WORLD-CLASS STANDARDS.
By THE YEAR 2000, OUR CHILDREN WILL BE FIRST IN THE
WORLD IN SCIENCE AND MATH.
\
OUR ADULTS WILL BE
LITERATE AND ABLE TO COMPETE IN THE WORK FORCE.
\
AND
FINALLY, OUR SCHOOLS WILL BE SAFE, DISCIPLINED, AND
DRUG-FREE. 111
WE'LL ACHIEVE THESE GOALS BY ADVANCING FOUR
TRANSFORMING IDEAS AT THE HEART OF AMERICA 2000.
- 14 -
FIRST, FLEXIBILITY FOR TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS --
FREEDOM FROM THE WEB OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT IMPOSE
A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTION ON OUR SCHOOLS.
SECOND, A GENERATION OF NEW AMERICAN SCHOOLS --
TEACHERS ARE CRITICAL TO THIS EXCITING BREAK-THE-MOLD
EXPERIMENT IN WHAT EDUCATION CAN BE.
- 15 -
THIRD, WORLD CLASS STANDARDS AND VOLUNTARY NATIONAL
EXAMS -- AGAIN, TEACHERS ARE LEADING THE WAY IN
DEFINING STANDARDS, CREATING CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS AND
DEVELOPING EXAMS TO HELP US RAISE OUR SIGHTS AND
MEASURE OUR PERFORMANCE.
\
FOURTH AND FINALLY, PARENTAL CHOICE OF SCHOOLS --
PUBLIC, PRIVATE, RELIGIOUS.
11
OUR PLAN IS INNOVATIVE; IT'S EXCITING: IT'S UNITING
THIS COUNTRY -- AND IT WILL WORK. 111
- 16 -
CHANGING OUR SCHOOLS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO WAIT -- OR
To WASTE -- A GENERATION. THAT'S WHY EDUCATION IS ONE
OF THE FIVE URGENT REFORM CHALLENGES I'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT. WE KNOW WE'VE GOT TO BE COMPETITIVE IN A
CHANGING WORLD. WE CAN'T GO ON SENDING OUR CHILDREN
INTO THE WORKING WORLD UNDER-EDUCATED AND ILL-
EQUIPPED -- AND EXPECT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO SPEND
BILLIONS TEACHING NEW WORKERS WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE
LEARNED IN SCHOOL.
- 17 -
STATUS QUO SCHOOLS WON'T CARRY US INTO THE NEXT
CENTURY. WE SET OUR GOALS FOR THE YEAR 2000 BECAUSE WE
KNOW OUR ECONOMIC HEALTH -- OUR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL --
DEPENDS ON HOW WE EDUCATE OURSELVES TO FACE THE
CHALLENGES A NEW CENTURY WILL BRING.
ToM AND THE THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN LIKE HIM
WILL HELP US MEET THOSE CHALLENGES.
- 18 -
TEACHERS KNOW THAT REAL EXCELLENCE DEMANDS COMMITMENT
FROM EVERYONE IN EVERY COMMUNITY AS WE WORK TO CREATE
COMMUNITIES WHERE LEARNING CAN HAPPEN.
IT DEMANDS THAT TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN GIVE TIME TO
BECOME TUTORS AND MENTORS. IT DEMANDS THAT BUSINESSES,
CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES, AND CIVIC GROUPS JOIN TOGETHER
TO SUPPORT LOCAL SCHOOLS. IT DEMANDS THAT EVERY
CITIZEN HELP HIS COMMUNITY DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION
BASED ON AMERICA 2000 -- AND HELP THE NATION REACH THE
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS.
- 19 -
TOGETHER, WE WILL REINVENT THE AMERICAN SCHOOL
COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD,
ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. III
AND AT THE HEART OF THIS SHINING NEW SCHOOL WILL BE
-- AS ALWAYS -- THE TEACHER. LAST WEEK AT THE OSCARS,
FILMMAKER GEORGE LUCAS MIGHT HAVE CAPTURED IT BEST,
WHEN HE THANKED THE TEACHERS OF HIS CHILDHOOD. HE
SAID: "ALL OF US
ARE TEACHERS, TEACHERS WITH VERY
LOUD VOICES, BUT WE WILL NEVER MATCH THE POWER OF THE
TEACHER WHO IS ABLE TO WHISPER IN A STUDENT'S EAR."
- 20 -
ToM -- ON BEHALF OF ALL AMERICANS WHO'VE HAD THE
RARE AND PRICELESS PRIVILEGE OF HAVING A FINE TEACHER
WHISPER IN THEIR EAR -- CONGRATULATIONS. You TEACH THE
ONE LESSON THAT MATTERS MOST. THERE'S NO DISTINCTION
BETWEEN WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO -- YOU'VE WOVEN THE
VALUES OF YOUR LIFE INTO YOUR WORK. THANK YOU, ToM --
AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU. 111
- 21 -
AND NOW I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU. THE
APPLE IS THE TRADITIONAL SYMBOL OF TEACHING -- AND
CRYSTAL REPRESENTS THE CLARITY OF VISION AND COMMITMENT
THAT GREAT TEACHERS POSSESS. ON BEHALF OF A GRATEFUL
AND ADMIRING NATION, ToM -- CONGRATULATIONS.
# # # # #