More Resources Secretary's Summit Remarks Secretary's Dinner Remarks

Washington--U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today welcomed more than 150 teachers from every grade level, academic discipline and nearly every state in the nation to the first-ever National Research-to-Practice Teacher Summit.

"By giving teachers the tools they need to achieve at their best," Paige said, "we can help every student achieve at his or her best as well. By providing a quality education to every student day by day and year after year, we will make this country stronger, nobler, more compassionate and more tolerant. We will use education to give each student a full measure of the American Promise, a share of the American Dream."

The summit teamed up leading education researchers and teachers who have successfully put research into practice in the classroom and asked them to demonstrate their strategies in reading, mathematics, science and the arts at the summit. The goal is to improve student learning for all students and to close the achievement gap by providing summit participants with the latest information about what works in the classroom. Participating teachers from around the country can then share what they've learned with colleagues in their schools and districts.

"I am hopeful that research will take center stage in educational training," Paige said, "helping teachers learn how to reach their students and motivate them, not force them into stereotypes, categories and columns. This research must complement the humanity, empathy and scholarship of the teacher, not supplant it. It should help teachers better reach struggling students and help outstanding students to excel. It should make the entire educational process more successful."

The national summit is part of the Bush administration's Teacher-to-Teacher initiative, which also includes seven regional workshops, roundtable discussions with teachers about the support they need to meet the academic needs of their students, a teacher toolkit and electronic e-byte updates to provide useful information to teachers.

To reach as many teachers and educators as possible, the U.S. Department of Education will make 10 of the best sessions from the workshops and summit available via the Internet and on satellite television, now in nine million homes and schools across the country. More information about the tapes will be available by the start of the coming school year.

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