First Lady Beckons Teachers

First Lady Beckons Teachers

NewsMax.com Wires
Monday, Feb. 26, 2001

WASHINGTON – Moving to make her mark as first lady, Laura Bush will issue a call today for new teachers, including asking those who served their country in the military to help fill depleted ranks in classrooms.

After avoiding the limelight during the first five weeks of her husband's administration, Mrs. Bush will use her status as first lady to tackle key education issues, particularly those affecting poor and minority children.

Mrs. Bush, a former second-grade public school teacher with a master's degree in library science, intends to target three areas in an address at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Hyattsville, Md.:

Teacher recruitment. The first lady will urge people to enter teaching, which faces shortages that experts say will grow worse in the decade ahead. She will work with ''Troops to Teachers,'' which encourages military retirees, particularly those with math and science skills, to enter teaching.

Early childhood programs. Mrs. Bush will tout programs that prepare youngsters for school, mainly 3- and 4-year-olds.

Parental involvement. She will work to make parents more aware of the importance they play in preparing their children to learn.

A shortage of qualified teachers is a major problem in many urban areas. The Department of Education projects that public schools will need 2.2 million new teachers in the next decade to offset retirements and more students.

''The fact the first lady is really delving into this says a lot about her interest in education,'' says Wendy Copp, head of Teach for America, a group that encourages new college graduates to enter the profession.

Aides to Mrs. Bush say she intends to be a highly visible spokesperson on education. But unlike her predecessor, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who went from the White House to the Senate, she does not plan to play a leading policy role.

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