THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

             PRESIDENT CLINTON ADDRESSES THE NATIONAL BOARD
                  FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS
              Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
                            October 22, 1999

     Today, in his address to the National Board for Professional

Teaching Standards (NBPTS), President Clinton will call on Congress to fund strategic initiatives in education. Noting that the issue is not only how much we spend on education, but also how wisely we spend, the President will call for targeted investments to reduce class size and improve teacher quality, turn around failing schools, expand after-school programs, prepare students for college, and raise standards.

The President also will point out that the Republican appropriations bill shortchanges these goals, and will urge Congress to work with him to pass an education spending bill that prepares our children for the 21st Century.

     The mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching
     Standards is to establish high and rigorous standards for
     accomplished teaching, to develop and operate a national voluntary
     system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards, and
     to advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving
     student learning in American schools. To date, the Board has
     certified 1,836 teachers in 27 states, and another 6,500 are
     currently working toward board certification.

     The President hosted a reception in 1995 at the White House for the

first 177 NBPTS certified teachers. In 1997 the President hosted another White House reception to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of NBPTS and advocated in his State of the Union address for using federal funds to support the goal of having 105,000 National Board-certified teachers across the country -- one for every school.

     The President will be joined on stage by NBPTS Founding Chair
     Governor James Hunt;NBPTS Chair Barbara Kelley; NBPTS Founding
     President Jim Kelly; NBPTS president-elect Betty Castor; NBPTS Vice
     Chair Bob Wehling; NBPTS Finance Chair Leo Ramirez; Pat Soto,
     National Board Certified Teacher and NBPTS Board Member; and Carole
     Moyer, National Board Certified Teacher, Columbus, OH.

     The audience will consist of 400 members and guests of the National

Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Order of Speakers:
Barbara Kelley, Chair, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Carole Moyer, National Board Certified Teacher, Columbus, OH The President

A fact sheet is attached.

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