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National Teacher of the Year 4/7/92 [OA 7571] [3]
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National Teacher of the Year 4/7/92 [OA 7571] [3]
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National Teacher of the Year 4/7/92 [OA 7571] [3]
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4
3
2
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 he urges these suspicious,
disillusioned kids to believe that "Self-esteem follows
performance." 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 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
read ask him to bring a book from the public library. But the
apple does symbolize the respect in which Tom's country holds
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
March 30, 1992 10 a.m.
TEACHER Draft One
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992
ROSE GARDEN
11:15 a.m.
Thank you, and welcome to the Rose Garden. [ACKNOWLEGEMENTS]
We're here to salute and thanks the thousands of outstanding men
and women who educate this nation's kids. 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 tell you about a Detroit kid who was told he was a
slow learner. He had a rough youth. When he dropped out of high
school he couldn't read, write or spell. For five years in the
Army he thought about wanting to take charge of his life, so when
he was discharged he went to night school for two years to earn
his high school diploma. Then he went for 7 more years to a
Bible College, while working as a minister to kids in the ghetto.
Here he found he had the power to touch and change lives. So he
decided to become a teacher. He began by working with forgotten
kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders.
Kahlil Gibran says: "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.
2
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 beaten out of them by a vicious cycle of
abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, crime -- he gives life-training.
"Knowledge is power: the more you know, the more you're worth,"
he says, and he urges these suspicious, disillusioned kids to
believe that "Self-esteem follows performance." In these beaten-
Physical connection
down kids he instills pride. Principal Paul Helber says Tom
give them a friendly
never lays a hand on them except to pat-them on the back.
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 all when he dedicated
his book to Tom for making a difference in his life.
I have a feeling this crystal apple isn't as important to
3
Tom as his other rewards -- like the first spark of light in a
classroom
kid's eye; or seeing a group's-hunger for answers; or even just
before had
having a kid who d never been able to read ask him to bring 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 -- not only is education important, but special
3
education is important -- because every life can be redeemed --
every life counts. As Tom says, his conviction that all students
can succeed helps him to keep hope alive.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom sees
the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown of families;
the loss of traditional values; an environment that breeds crime,
substance abuse, 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 holds
the key for our country's future, urged us to develop America
2000 -- our revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence.
I'm absolutely committed to change, beginning with break-the-
mold ideas like New American Schools and a range of educational
choice that includes empowerment and for teachers. Our plan is inno-
vative; it's exciting; it's uniting this country it will work
I
Tom and the thousands of men and women like him show the
excellence that will help us meet America 2000's ambitious goals.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste -- a
generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a changing
world. Our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on
how we educate ourselves to face the challenges out there.
Overall
We've requested over $2 billion in Federal spending on math
Idending
and science education in next year's budget: $768 million of that
for pre-college. That's an increase of 123% in the last 3 years.
4
The Federal Government can do a lot -- but we can't do it all.
Teachers know that real excellence demands commitment from every-
one in every community as we work to create a new generation of
American schools. It demands talented men and women giving time
to become tutors, mentors and classroom assistants. It demands
businesses, churches and synagogues, and civic groups forming
partnerships to support local schools. It demands every citizen
helping his or her community develop a plan of action based on
our new Declaration of Educational Rights -- America 2000.
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. A hero to our youngest generation said it
best. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George Lucas said "all
of us who make motion pictures paraphrase 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."
On behalf of all Americans who've had the rare and priceless
Moke
privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in their ear --
congratulations, Tom. I know how proud your grandparents grandmother would
be. God bless you all. Tom.
#
#
#
APR- 1-92 WED 16:43
COSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P.01
National
Teacher of the Year
Program
April 1, 1992
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
202/456-6218
5 Pages
MEMORANDUM
TO: Michelle Nix
The White House
FROM: Jon Quam, Director
SUBJECT: Information on National Teachers of the Year
Attached is a list of the previous national teachers and some demographic information.
Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thanks.
Sponsored by the COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS in partnership with ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, INC.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW Sulte 700 Washington, DC 20001-1431 . 202/408-5505 202/408-8072 FAX
APR- 1-92 WED 16:44
CCSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P.02
National Teachers of the Year
1952-1992
1992
Thomas E. Fleming - Special Education
Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Ann Arbor, Michigan
1991
Rae Ellen McKee - Remedial Reading
Slanesville Elementary School, Slanesville, West Virginia
1990
Janis Gabay . English
Junipero Serra High School, San Diego, California
1989
Mary V. Bicouvaris - Government/International Relations
Bethel High School, Hampton, Virginia
1988
Terry Weeks - Social Studies
Central Middle School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1987
Donna H. Oliver - Biology
Hugh M. Cummings High School, Burlington, North Carolina
1986
Guy R. Doud - Language Arts
Brainerd Senior High School, Brainerd, Minnesota
1985
Therese Knecht Dozier - World History
Irmo High School, Columbia, South Carolina
1984
Sherleen Sisney - History, Economics and Political Science
Ballard High School, Louisville, Kentucky
1983
LeRoy E. Hay, Ph.D. - English
Manchester High School, Manchester, Connecticut
1982
Bruce E. Brombacher - Mathematics
Jones Junior High School, Upper Arlington, Ohio
1981
Jay Sommer - Foreign Languages
New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, New York
APR- 1-92 WED 16:44
CCSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P. 03
1980
Beverly J. Bimes-Michalak . English
Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, Missouri
1979
Marilyn W. Black - Elementary Art
Bernice A. Ray School, Hanover, New Hampshire
1978
Elaine Barbour - Sixth Grade
Coal Creek Elementary, Montrose, Colorado
1977
Myrra L. Lee - Social Living
Helix High School, La Mesa, California
1976
Ruby Murchison - Social Studies
Washington Drive Junior High, Fayetteville, North Carolina
1975
Robert G. Heyer - Science
Johanna Junior High School, St. Paul, Minnesota
1974
Vivian Tom - Social Studies
Lincoln High School, Yonkers, New York
1973
John A. Ensworth - Sixth Grade
Kenwood School, Bend, Oregon
1972
James M. Rogers - American History and Black Studies
Durham High School, Durham, North Carolina
1971
Martha M. Stringfellow - First Grade
Lewisville Elementary, Chester County, South Carolina
1970
Johnnie T. Dennis - Physics and Math Analysis
Walla Walla High School, Walla Walla, Washington
1969
Barbara Goleman - Language Arts
Miami Jackson High School, Miami, Florida
1968
David E. Graf - Vocational Education and Industrial Arts
Sandwich Community High School, Sandwich, Illinois
1967
Roger Tenney - Music
Owatonna Junior-Senior High School, Owatonna, Minnesota
1966
Mona Dayton * First Grade
Walter Douglas Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona
APR- 1-92 WED 16:45
CCSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P.04
1965
Richard E. Klinck M Sixth Grade
Reed Street Elementary, Wheat Ridge, Colorado
1964
Lawana Trout - English
Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma
1963
Elmon Ousley . Speech, American Government
Bellevue Senior High School, Bellevue, Washington
1962
Marjorie French - Mathematics
Topeka High School, Topeka, Kansas
1961
Helen Adams - Kindergarten
Cumberland Public School, Cumberland, Wisconsin
1960
Hazel B. Davenport - First Grade
Central Elementary School, Beckley, West Virginia
1959
Edna Donley - Mathematics and Speech
Alva High School, Alva, Oklahoma
1958
Jean Listebarger Humphrey ** Second Grade
Edwards Elementary, Ames, Iowa
1957
Eugene G. Bizzell - Speech, English and Debate
A.N. McCallum High School, Austin, Texas
Mary F. Schartz - Third Grade
Bristol Elementary, Kansas City, Missouri
1956
Richard Nelson - Science
Flathead County High School, Kalispell, Montana
1955
Margaret Perry - Fourth Grade
Monmouth Elementary, Monmouth, Oregon
1954
Willard Wideberg - Seventh Grade
DeKalb Junior High School, DeKalb, Illinois
1953
Dorothy Hamilton . Social Studies
Milford High School, Milford, Connecticut
1952
Geraldine Jones - First Grade
Hope Public School, Santa Barbara, California
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
March 30, 1992 10 a.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 kids. 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. Told he was a slow learner, he had a rough time
growing up. When he dropped out of high school he couldn't read,
write or spell. Then, in the Army, he wanted to read the Bible
but couldn't -- he didn't know how. From that moment, he thought
about what it would really mean to take charge of his life.
So when he was discharged he went to night school for two
years to earn his high school diploma. Then he went for 7 more
years to a 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.
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
2
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 he urges these suspicious,
disillusioned kids to believe that "Self-esteem follows
performance." In these beaten-down 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
S
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 -- like the first spark of light in a
kid's eye; or seeing a class's hunger for answers; or even just
having a kid who'd never been able to read ask him to bring a
book from the public library. But the apple does symbolize the
3
respect in which Tom's country holds him. And the apple reminds
us of his message -- education is because every life can be
redeemed -- every life counts. As Tom says, his belief that all
students can succeed helps him to keep hope alive.
Every day, on the most intense and personal level, Tom sees
the heart of the problems we face -- the breakdown of families;
the loss of traditional values; the threat of crime, substance
abuse, 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, urged us to develop America 2000:
our revolutionary blueprint for educational excellence. In it,
we call for Flexibility for Teachers and Principles, allowing the
waiving of regulations affecting more than 70 federal programs
and $11 billion. We call for $545 million to create the first
Break-the-Mold American Schools. We call for World Class Stand-
ards and Voluntary National Exams. We call for Parental Choice
of Schools -- public, private, religious. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work.
In America 2000, we also call for ambitious goals -- Tom and
the thousands of men and women like him will help us meet them.
Changing our schools is too important to wait -- or to waste -- a
generation. We know we've got to be competitive in a changing
world. We set our goals for the year 2000 because we know that
4
our economic health -- our economic survival -- depend on how we
educate ourselves to face the challenges of a new century.
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 citizen helping his
or her community develop a plan of action based on America 2000:
our new Declaration of Educational Rights. 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. A hero to our youngest generation said it
best. Last week at the Oscars, filmmaker George Lucas said "all
of us who make motion pictures 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. As your wife, Diane, says: there's no
distinction between who you are and what you do -- you've woven
your values of your life into your teaching work; Your grandparents Carrie
into your
and Gordon must be so proud. God bless you, Tom.
#
#
#
TEACHER OF THE YEAR QUESTIONS:
Tom:
(does he know he's won?) yes sweeks ago
a specific teacher touched/changed his life?
how old went into service, what branch
where grew up; what age dropped out
what was it like being a drop out
why decided to teach/go back to school?
any teacher help him turn his life around?
any anecdotes/stories from his teaching experience?
how became involved in Juvenile Detention teaching?
what does he think is greatest problem facing
teachers and kids today?
what does he want to try to do as Teacher of the
Year?
--his own family (wife, children, etc.)
--General:
will all four finalists be there?
--Copies of previous years' speeches
no only Tom
worked orkycars
Names/Numbers of friends
First National Teacher
(3B) (517)
Appointed T by whom
Student who became
TV comedian
Brown
Does Fleming sup port America 2000
(313)-1390
Ann
Teachers
and
don'torse
Rese 171-22400
Mike Emlaw, Superintendent Washtan
313 994 - 8100
Banbara
ext. X 1300
To
Date
Mychele
Time 1130
WHILE YOU WERE OUT
M Banbara 18 Dillar
of
Phone
313-994-8100 1 ext.
Area Code
Number
Extension
1300
TELEPHONED
PLEASE CALL
CALLED TO SEE YOU
WILL CALL AGAIN
WANTS TO SEE YOU
URGENT
RETURNED YOUR CALL
Message
Operator
George
AMPAD
EFFICIENCY®
23-021 CARBONLESS
APR- 2-92 THU 11:55
CCSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P.01
National
Teacher of the Year
Program
April 2, 1992
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
202/456-6218
3 Pages
MEMORANDUM
TO: Michell Nix
The White House
FROM: Jon Quam, Director
SUBJECT: Article on Thomas Fleming
Per your request.
Please give me a call if you need additional information. Thanks.
Sponsored by the COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS in partnership with ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, INC.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20001-1431 202/408-5505 202/408-8072 FAX
APR- 2-92 THU 11:56
CCSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P.02
The Ann Arbor News
Sept. 8, 1991 P. B-1 BH
LOC
A NATURAL
TEACHER
Finalist for state teacher of the year
has spent 20 years with delinquents
By DAVE WILKINS
will be here for a week, others for months. Some re-
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
turn again and again.
It's like a one-room schoolhouse for delinquents,
Tom Fleming circles the large rectangular table
with kids at drastically different stages academical-
in the center of the small classroom.
ly, emotionally, and socially - with teachers who
He leans over one student to point out a detail in a
textbook; he leans on another who isn't much inter-
can never be sure how much of a difference they
make.
ested in the morning's assignment.
"I know I'm not going to have you long," Fleming
It is Fleming's 20th year as a teacher here, at the
tells his students. "I'm just trying to get you in touch
Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Center.
with what you can do
But this is a 50-50 proposi-
His lesson during third period Wednesday was
tion. I cannot teach you if you don't want to learn."
disjointed and rambling - part teaching, part
Later, after the class is over and the students are
preaching, part plain talk: A
off having lunch, Fleming
brief overview of U.S. history
from the Great Depression to
says: "I don't know how you
(meet their diverse needs) ac-
Pearl Harbor. A chat over a
1 don't know how you
ademically. I do know how im-
fight that escalated from a
(meet their diverse
portant it is to affirm that
dodgeball game the night be-
needs) academically. I
child - letting that kid have
fore. A discussion of the
some success in school, let-
causes of homelessness. A
do know how important
mini-sermon on responsi-
ting them have a good day."
bility.
it is to affirm that child
Troubled roads
Tall and white-haired, he
- letting that kid have
circles - checking students'
Perhaps Tom Fleming gets
some success in
through to troubled young
progress on the assignment,
school.'
people because he has trav-
offering insights, making con-
eled many of their roads:
nections - and the lesson
take its own shape.
- Tom Fleming
abandonment, poverty, rac-
ism, difficulty in school.
Fleming reminds his stu-
At the same time, he knows
dents they must date all their
papers. "I want you to know
'Maybe part of it has to
the strength of a nurturing
hand. Fleming was raised by
every day you're in jail," he
do with his own sense
hard-working grandparents
says. "When you're back in
your own school, I want you to
of wonder. He's a
whom he cherished. Even to-
day, long after they've passed
say, 'I'll be good, I'll be good,
I'll be good.'
person. who's always
away, Fleming asks that they
Eight or 10 incarcerated
learning, buying books,
be mentioned here: Gordon
teen-agers sit around the ta-
reading books, talking
and Carrie Bell Sparks.
ble: A bright, personable 14-
When he was II or 12, he
in
to people, searching for
told his grandmother he
nir
year-old girl who reads novels
Car
and can easily handle the
answers, trying to see
would one day buy the couple
a home
Extended Page
2.1
a home.
dri
work of an 11th-grader. A stu-
dent with a visual disability
things in a new way.'
"She said, Yeah, boy,' and
vis
that makes reading and writ-
- The Rev. Larry
rubbed my head," he says.
ing a struggle. A 16-year-old
"But that promise stayed in
tal
Greenfield
my heart."
Ed
boy caught, when he's outside
After Fleming's birth in
list
these walls, in a tug-of-war
between his success as a drug
Redding, Pa., in 1933, his
gic
dealer and the traditional values he confronts at
mother left him with her par-
&
home.
ents, one of three black families in their Detroit
yes
neighborhood. She said she would be back for him
dre
"Nobody wants to touch these kids," says Dale
when she could afford to raise a child.
the
Rice, a special education professor at Eastern Mich-
igan University who has known Fleming since 1965.
He saw her once when he was 9 or 10 years old
Sco
and again as a young adult.
yea
"They've become so hardened over the years,
Fleming never knew his father.
ega
there's just no way to get through
"Tom gets through. He relishes it."
A "bad-ass kid" in a tough Detroit neighborhood,
For that. Fleming is one of 14 finalists for Michi-
Fleming spent sixth grade in the equivalent of a re-
gan Teacher of the Year 1991-92. The winner is
form school and ran with a rough crowd in high
F
scheduled to be announced later this month.
school: "I'd walk into school and somebody would
Some of his students are neglected, some have
say "Hello, Sambo' or "Hello, Hershey Bar,' and I'd
fire 'em up."
learning disabilities, some can't read, some are re-
I
peat offenders. Some are 12 years old, others are 16.
He lied about his age to get into the National
wel
Many have never known success in school. Some
can
See TEACHER, B4
THE ANN ARBOR NEWS
OCAL
ivenile detention center teacher makes a difference
EACHER, from B1
Whitney Brown, today a writer and perform-
d in 1949 and became a member of the
These are kids who are wary of people. They've
er on television's "Saturday Night Live." He
dedicated his 1989 book, "The Big Picture,"
2-92 THU 11:57
ack 1279th Combat Engineers, ultimate-
been burned and they're not going to just let
"to Anna Klein and Tom Fleming, two teach-
rving with the occupation troops in Ger-
ers who made a difference."
⑇ in the early 1950s.
er his hitch, he returned to the old
anybody into their lives. Tom can win them over
The natural
iborhood and Look up with the old crowd.
in a week, they were jailed for a break-in
in a very honest way.'
Last week, the detention center was full,
with 27 juveniles. Fleming and the other two
local theater. Fleming wasn't involved;
still unsure if his friends were.
- Dale Rice, EMU professor
teachers who work there Pat O'Connell
CCSSO
and Deb Hanewich-Duranczyk expect to
en he was released the next day, Flem-
see 200 to 250 students come through its "Te-
ecided he was better off in the military
volving door" this school year.
re-enlisted. About the same time, he saw
"That's why I went back to school
My
ba-
minister at the First Baptist Church of Ann
other for the second time.
sic goal was just to learn to read the Bible."
Arbor and less than a year away from being
But Fleming shows no sign of tiring, of suc-
e gave me a white cross and told me to
While earning a bachelor's degree in reli-
ordained.
cumbing to the frustration of the work he has
it all the time, because I'd be blessed,"
gious education during the late '50s and early
"That would be confirmation in a sense,"
done for two decades.
ing remembers.
'60s, he combined his two loves - the church
says the Rev. Larry Greenfield, interim min-
The Rev. Greenfield says it's a "combina-
on, he was in Chaumont, France, driving
and working with young people - by serving
ister at First Baplist. "I dare anybody to
tion of passion, commitment and ability that
ment truck on an Army construction
as youth director at churches in northwest
claim that this isn't already a full-fledged
makes this character so unusual."
that was building airstrips. He was
Detroit.
minister of God."
"Maybe part of it has to do with his own
ing money to a bank back home, and
But later, while he was a graduate student
sense of wonder," Greenfield says. "He's a
ing most nights.
at Eastern Michigan University, Fleming
Making a difference
person who's always learning, buying books,
er one round of carousing in Paris with
questioned the political relevance of the
In 1968, Fleming completed his master's
reading books, talking to people, searching
addies, Fleming reached a turning point.
church. A "coffeehouse revolutionary" was
degree in special education and took his first
for answers, trying to see things in a new
not until I got back to the base that [ re-
born.
professional job teaching at the W.J. Maxey
way.
1 I'd broken the cross," he says. "I felt
He was involved in the formation of the
Boys Training School in Whitmore Lake.
"There is a child in Tom Fleming
ally damned my soul."
Black Student Union at Eastern and affiliated
It didn't last long.
There's an awe, an openness."
with the Black Panthers. In 1970, he partici-
pated in the first Black Action Movement
When two of Maxey's teen-age inmates
EMU's Rice explains it similarly.
1 and politics
draught, he sought help from a man
march at the University of Michigan.
were transferred to a mental facility in Tra-
"These are kids who are wary of people,"
ed David who worked in the motor pool
"When I enrolled in graduate school, I was
verse City, Fleming and another teacher,
he says. "They've been burned and they're
FAX NO. 2024088072
was routinely chastised for reading the
disappointed with the politics of the religious
Anna Klein, complained, saying the boys
not going to just let anybody into their lives.
Testament. The man told Fleming to put
community," Fleming wrote in the applica-
were tough to handle but they were bright
ust in Jesus.
tion his employer, the Washtenaw Intermedi-
and did not belong in a mental institution.
"Tom can win them over in a very honest
ate School District, submitted to the Teacher
One of the boys, Fleming says, "was just a
way.
He's a very honest person. It's not
on, Fleming lost interest in drinking and
praying on the barrack's concrete
of the Year program.
satirist. The staff would say something to him
something he developed over the years it's
almost as if he was born with it. It's not some-
He too was chastised: "While I was
"I had met Dr. Martin Luther King during
and he'd come back with something smart
ng, they'd throw combat boots at me."
one of his visits to Detroit, and agreed with
and it'd piss off the staff
He was sharp."
thing you learn from a college textbook. It's
almost an art.
returned from overseas in 1955, took
his assessment that the church 'was called to
But the protests from Fleming and Klein
) he had saved from his military pay and
be the Light of the world, and now is the tail-
were ignored.
"You let your guard down around him.
at his grandparents the home he had
light.
I discovered black history and read
"We were told it wasn't our business,"
You feel safe, you can trust him completely.
ised them as a boy. He went to night
almost day and night: Richard Wright, James
Fleming says. "But I made it my business."
Kids feel safe with him.
1, earned a high school equivalency di-
Baldwin, Lerone Bennett, Langston Hughes,
The two teachers went to Traverse City,
a and, in 1957, enrolled at Detroit Bible
"It's not a technique. It's not a calculated
W.E.B. DuBois, and John Hope Franklin."
retrieved the two boys and returned them to
part of him," he says. "It's natural. You talk
ute, now William Tyndale College.
In the late 1970s, Fleming received "a sec-
Maxey. Fleming ullimately lost his job over it.
about the natural in baseball. He's the natu-
wanted to read the Bible," he says.
ond touch from God." Today, he is associate
The teen-ager with a gift. for satire was A.
ral with delinquent kids."
APR- 2-92 THU 15:45
CCSSO
FAX NO. 2024088072
P.01
National
Teacher of the Year
Program
April 2, 1992
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
202/456-1647
2 Pages
MEMORANDUM
TO: Jane Leonard
Mark Lapedis
FROM: Jon Quam, Director
SUBJECT: DC, MD, VA, Chiefs and State Teachers of the Year
Talking points
Per your request. We'll have the completed list of invitees by COB tomorrow. I will
need instructions as to who and where the apple should be delivered. It is extremely
fragile so care must be taken. I'll wait to hear from you.
Talking points as relates to presentation:
-The classroom teacher is the backbone of the American educational system,
-No one person has a greater impact on the education of a child than does the
teacher who creates the primary learning and instructional environment.
-The apple is the traditional symbol of teaching and the crystal represents the clarity
and purity of vision and commitment that teachers of great quality possess.
-It is the mission of the National Teacher of the Year Program to recognize and
honor the contributions of the American classroom teacher.
-The Program is the oldest and most prestigious awards program to focus public
attention on excellence in teaching. Now celebrating its 41st year, the National Teacher
of the Year Program is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers in
partnership with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Let me know if you need more.
Sponsored by the COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS in partnership with ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, INC.
TW
200011431
202/408-5505
202/408-8072 FAX
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 6, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR MICHELLE of NIX
FROM:
JANE BARNETT LEONARD ML For JBL
SUBJECT:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOR THE PRESIDENTS
REMARKS DURING THE CEREMONY FOR THE
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
To date, the following will be in attendance at the Ceremony for the National
Teacher of the Year in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, April 7, 1992 at 11:15 a.m. and
should be considered for acknowledgements in the President's remarks.
Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander intro
Diane, Malcom, Josphine
Rosinski
Dr. Robert Schiller - Superintendent of Public Instruction, Michigan State Department
of Education
Michael Emlaw, Superintendent, Washtenaw Intermediate School District
Gordon Ambach - Executive Director, Council of Chief State School Officers
26 students from Jefferson Junior High School, Washington, D.C. (background info.
attached)
30 students from Saint Rita's School, Alexandria, Virginia
I will forward any other names as they become available. If you have any questions,
please feel free to call me at x7845.
SENT BY:JEFFERSON JR HIGH
; 4- 3-92 08PM ;
2027242459-
12024561647; 2
JEFFERSON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
8TH AND H STREETS, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20024
April 3, 1992
Mr. Marc Lapides
Office of Public Relations
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Mr. Lapides:
On behalf of Jefferson Junior High School, I wish to thank you for
your kind Invitation for our school to participate in your Teacher of The
Year Ceremonies on April 7, 1992.
Jefferson Junior High School is in an alliance with the
Communication Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) to develop a School of
Distinction focused on mathematics and science. Section 8-207 is one of
10 sections (groups) In the Math/Sclence "School Within A School" which
started in 1990. They are all Honor Roll Students and 95% of them have
already successfully completed Algebra I, Geometry and are now taking
Algebra II and Chemistry in the 8th grade. They are engaged in many
activities that show how exceptional achievement in math and science and
future careers in math and science are continuously linked.
They are active in all aspects of the school and community.
We have enclosed a listing of the students in section 8-207 who will
be attending. If you have further need for information, please contact Mrs.
E. Louise White on (202) 724-4422.
Sincerely,
Vera m White
Vera M. White
Principal
cc: Robert Hunter
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 6, 1992 10:00 a.m.
TEACHER Draft Three
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 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.
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. 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
4
will start school ready to learn. America's students will
achieve at least a 90% high school graduation rate. 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. III
Teachers are at the heart of America 2000 -- which will help
us achieve these goals through its emphasis on 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 -- teachers are part of this exciting break-
the-mold experiment in what education can be. Third, World Class
Standards and Voluntary National Exams -- 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. We also want parents to be involved
-- that's why we must work hard to give all families choice in
deciding where their kids go to school. Our plan is innovative;
it's exciting; it's uniting this country -- and it will work. 11
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
5
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
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
6
-- 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.
#
#
#
#
#
STATES
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
states
of
April 3, 1992
MEMORANDUM TO RAE NELSON
FROM:
STEPHEN I. DANZANSKY
SUBJECT:
Comments on Upcoming Education Speeches:
April 7 -- Washington
April 14 -- Detroit
What follows are the Secretary's personal comments on three
speeches -- Teacher of the Year, American Business Conference
(April 7) and the Detroit Speech (April 14):
I.
Teacher of the Year
"Teachers are at the heart of AMERICA 2000. First, Tom, we
want to give teachers and principals more flexibility in their
classrooms from the web of federal regulations that impose a
one-size-fits-all solution on our schools. Second, teachers in
hundreds of schools are part of the exciting effort to create the
first wave of an entire generation of break-the-mold new American
Schools that meet the needs of today's children. Teachers know
best how to create the best schools in the world for our
children. Third, teachers in mathematics and in sciences and
history and in other critical subjects are leading the way in
defining world-class academic standards, creating new state
curriculum frameworks and establishing a system of voluntary
national exams -- to help us raise our sights and measure our
performance. We want teachers to be deeply involved -- as they
are in Detroit -- in creating new school options, new choices for
parents -- we especially must work hard to give middle and low
income families more of the same school choices that families
with money already have.
We know that these major changes in our education system
will require new opportunities for teacher retraining -- that's
why we have focused the more than $2 billion the federal
government spends on math and science education on teacher
retraining. That's why I have proposed that Congress help states
create Governors' Academies for Teachers of math, science,
English, history and geography."
II. American Business Conference
(Note: It is important to mention Jim Jones, the former
Democratic Congressman and President of the American Stock
Exchange and member of the New American Schools Development
Corporation Board. )
400 MARYLAND AVE.. S.W. WASHINGTON. D.C. 20202
whitaeyend to
(Hinchliffe/Nix)
April 6, 1992 1 p.m.
A.
TEACHER Draft Four
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1992 11:15 A.M.
ROSE GARDEN
Thank you, Lamar. Welcome to the Rose Garden, everybody --
in addition to our Secretary of Education, I'm glad to see
[ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
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. III
Today, I want to share with you a story -- about a Detroit
kid brought up by his grandparents, Gordon and Carrie Bell
+
Sparks. 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 his Bible -
2
- 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.
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. III
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."
In these "throw-away" kids he instills pride. 11
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
3
religious positions -- one even rebuilt Tom's original youth club
as a ministry of his own. And one of his kids, "Saturday Night
Live" comedian A. Whitney Brown, spoke for many others 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
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
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. III
4
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.
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. \ 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. III
We'll achieve these goals by advancing four transforming
ideas at the heart of America 2000. 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.
\ Third, World Class Standards and Voluntary
5
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
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 -- 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. 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
6
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 community, neighborhood
by neighborhood, all across this country. 111
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. III
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
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 7, 1992
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN HONORING TEACHER OF THE YEAR THOMAS FLEMING
The Rose Garden
11:22 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Lamar, and welcome,
everybody, to the Rose Garden. In addition to our outstanding
Secretary Lamar Alexander, we have with us Gordon Ambach of the
Council of Chief State School Officers; Superintendent Schiller and
Michael Emlaw from Michigan; the kids here from Jefferson Junior High
and St. Rita's School; and of course, the folks that I just had the
pleasure of meeting in the Oval Office, Tom, Diane and Malcolm
Fleming, and Diane's mother, Josephine Rosinski.
Why don't you all stand up so they can officially
welcome you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Now, 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 is nothing more precious than what they touch -- the
minds of our youth.
The Talmud says teachers are our "protectors" -- and
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 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. And 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 -- didn't know how.
From that moment, he thought about what it would really
mean to take charge of his life. And that moment changed his life.
And five years later, 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. And here he found he had the
power to touch and to change lives.
He decided to become a teacher and worked with forgotten
kids at a state institution for juvenile offenders. And 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." And that's exactly what the young man of
this story did. And we're here today to honor him as the 1992
Teacher of the Year -- Thomas Fleming. (Applause.)
He's a hero -- a man of great strength, of courage and
great heart. And for the last 20 years as lead teacher in the
Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Program, he's taught history,
government, and also geography to kids in the 12-16 age bracket. But
he teachers much, much more.
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To kids who had the hope drained out of them by a
vicious cycle of abuse, neglect, failure, drugs, crime, he gives life
training. And here's what he says to them: "Knowledge is power.
The more you know the more you're worth." In these throw-away kids
he installs pride.
Tom doesn't want the moon for his kids; he want's
something more important -- a future. And in his classroom it will
be a future forged out of new personal responsibility, enthusiasm and
learning and, yes, 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 of his kids, "Saturday Night Live"
comedian, A. Whitney Brown, is here with us today.
Whitney, please stand up, and welcome. (Applause.) And
I'm glad you didn't bring Dana Carvey. (Laughter.)
No, but this guy spoke for many of Tom's kids when, more
than 20 years after being taught in his classroom, he dedicated his
book, The Big Picture, to Tom and to his colleague Anne Klein, who is
also here today. And he called them, "two teachers who made a
difference.
Well, I have a feeling this crystal apple over here
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.
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 and
you touch a lifetime. But teachers cannot 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, a
revolutionary blueprint for educational reform.
It will lead us to achieve our six national education
goals, adopted, as you may remember, more than two years ago in an
extraordinary nonpartisan federal-state partnership by the nation's
governors and by this administration. And let me remind you just
briefly 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-percent high
school graduation rate; they will demonstrate competence in five core
subjects measured against world-class standards. And by the year
2000 our children will be the first in science and math; our adults
will be literate and able to compete in the work force; and sixth,
finally, our schools will be safe, disciplined and drug-free.
We'll achieve these goals by advancing four transforming
ideas at the heart of America 2000. First, flexibility for teachers
and principals. Freedom from the web of federal regulations that
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impose a "one size fits all" solution to our schools. Second, a
generation of new American schools. Teachers are critical to this
exciting break-the-mold experiment in what education can be.
And third, world-class standards and voluntary national
exams. Again, teachers are leading the way in defining standards,
creating curriculum frameworks, developing exams to help us raise our
sights and measure our performance. And fourth and finally, parental
choice of schools public, private, religious.
Now, our plan is innovative. It is exciting. It is
uniting this country and it will work. Changing our schools is too
important to wait or to waste a generation. And that's why education
is one of the five urgent reform challenges that 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 simply will not 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.
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 these national education goals.
Together, we literally 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, George Lucas, filmmaker, might
have captured it best when he thanked the teachers of his childhood.
And 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."
And so, Tom, on behalf of all Americans who have had the
rare and priceless privilege of having a fine teacher whisper in
their ear, congratulations. You teach the one lesson that matters
the most: there's no distinction between who you are and what you
do. You've woven the values of your life into your work. And thank
you, sir. And may God bless you.
And now I have something special for you. This apple is
the traditional symbol of teaching, and crystal represents the
clarity of vision and commitment to the great teachers that the
great teachers possess. And so, on behalf of a grateful nation, an
admiring nation, with great pride in you, sir, congratulations.
Now, may I hand you this apple? (Applause.)
MR. FLEMING: Thank you very much. Mr. President, I
accept this honor on behalf of the teachers of America, with your
recognition of our commitment to teach every young person the
challenges that they will need for the future. May God's strength be
with you and His guidance as you lead our great nation. Thank you.
(Applause.)
END
11:35 A.M. EST
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Embargoed for Release
Until 9:00 A.M. EST
Saturday, April 4, 1992
RADIO ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT
THE PRESIDENT: American democracy was launched from
great ideas which grew out of great debate. Our Founding Fathers
believed in the fundamentals: faith, family and freedom. And they
were determined to build prosperity. More than 200 years later, by
holding firmly to our principles, America has changed the world.
Henry Luce called the 20th century the American Century.
If we are to ensure that the next century is also the
American Century, we must meet five great challenges: education
reform, legal reform, health care reform, international
competitiveness and market expansion and governmental reform.
The latest unemployment figures were released Friday.
They held steady at 7.3 percent. But unemployment is still too high.
Too many Americans are out of work. To get this economy rolling
again, faster and stronger, Congress should have passed our economic
action plan. But they reverted to form, tried to raise taxes and
increase government spending. We can no longer afford this kind of
business as usual. We need to reform Congress. And that is my focus
today.
G. K. Chesterton said, "We cannot discuss reform without
reference to form." In the face of overwhelming evidence that change
is necessary, Congress has kept reform on the back burner. It is up
to us to turn up the heat. If we are to improve education, health
care, our legal system; if we are to reduce red tape and regulation;
if we are to make our country competitive and get this horrendous
deficit down, we must reform the congressional process itself.
It is true that one-party rule in Congress is a big part
of the problem. But the larger issue is a systemic problem, the 284
congressional committees and subcommittees, the almost 40,000
Legislative Branch employees and staff, the $2.5 billion of taxpayer
financing overlaid with $117 million reelection war chest and special
interest campaign contributions for incumbents. Such a system cannot
promote reform and change; instead it aggressively protects the
status quo.
I know that the federal government cannot be run just
like IBM or the local convenience store. But government today is a
$1.5-trillion enterprise and programs that have outlived their
function have not outlived their funding. We can and we must improve
governments responsiveness.
What merely hampered us in the past will gridlock us in
the future. Our ability to compete demands that Congress enact the
reforms I have proposed. The set of actions I have proposed, when
taken together, will help make government respond to the people.
Government for the people, as our founders envisioned.
First, Congress should govern itself by the laws it
imposes on everyone else. No more special treatment.
Second, Congress should reform its operations and
procedures.
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Third, we must make sweeping campaign finance reforms.
Fourth, we need to change how Congress spends the
people's money.
And fifth, we must revise and eliminate government
regulations that impede our ability to compete, and we must
accelerate regulations that enhance our competitive edge.
Sixth, we must limit congressional terms. The cycle of
virtually guaranteed reelection through the built-in advantages of
incumbency must be broken.
And finally, the Congress of the future should be a
citizen Congress, not a career Congress.
These reforms, taken together, can renew our faith in
government, restore the principles of our founders, and help
guarantee for children a new American Century.
The choice is clear: On the one side stand the
defenders of the status quo; on the other, the forces of change. And
now that we've changed the world, we must make the choice to change
America.
Thank you, and may God bless the United States of
America.
END