Bill Clinton: “Honoring Board-Certified Master Teachers October 24, 1997 Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. I have to say the…”

“Honoring Board-Certified Master Teachers October 24, 1997 Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. I have to say the Vice President always says when--we have this arrangement, he always says, thank you for the standing ovation. [Laughter] I'd also like to thank the United States Marine Band for being here for us today. I know you enjoyed them very much. You know, when I have to leave this job, in 3 years and a couple of months, I'll miss a lot of things about Washington and the White House--a few things I won't. [Laughter] But I'll really miss the Marine Band. It's a great honor to be around them every day. They're terrific. I want to thank Rebecca Palacios for her introduction and for her lifetime of dedication. We wanted her up here because she stands for all of you. And she first came to my attention when she spoke at Al Shanker's memorial service, and I know that a lot of you feel as I do. I wish he were here today. He'd be tickled to see this crowd and the progress of this endeavor. I'd like to thank Congressman Bob Etheridge and our good friend Senator Jim Jeffords from Vermont for being here and for the support we have received in the Congress with the leadership that they have given, and others, to this endeavor. I thank Secretary Riley. You know, I got a little nostalgic when Dick Riley was up here talking--Governor Hunt and Governor Riley and Governor Clinton--we've been at this since the 1970's.…”