Every American President, since Harry Truman, has presented this award. And that's as it should be. What we honor tells the world what we value. And we value America's teachers. He meant that their influence is unending.
Teachers play a vital role in the intellectual and morale education of children.
They teach children how to read and write, and they teach children right from wrong. They teach students to love knowledge and to disdain ignorance. Teachers inspire students, fire imaginations, nurture their natural abilities, and encourage them to explore the possibilities of life. They prepare good students to be good citizens. They also know better than anyone else they can't do it alone.