THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

---

For Immediate Release

Monday, November 22, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced that 2,965 more teachers met the teaching profession's highest standards and achieved National Board certification. I want to congratulate them, and commend all who applied for certification, for their personal commitment to high-quality education These teachers represent all regions of the country; public and private schools; rural, urban, and suburban districts; and every grade from kindergarten through high school. Teachers who pursue these standards set a sterling example -- for their students, and for our country.

We all know that one of the most important factors behind a child's educational success is having a caring, competent, and committed teacher. That's why my administration has strongly supported the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which has now certified nearly 5,000 of our most talented teachers. With today's announcement, we are on the way to meeting the challenge I have set: making sure we have a Board-certified teacher in every school in the nation by 2006.

---