Hi, all. Part 1 of today's report features:
- The President's remarks at last night's Congressional Bipartisan Dinner, in which he praises the military personnel and counter-terrorism personnel who planned and carried out the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden and calls again for the country to come together in unity.
- On National Teacher Appreciation Day, Dr. Jill Biden recalls a teacher who inspired her.
- Education Secretary Arne Duncan says this “is a special day to give teachers the appreciation that they deserve every day,” and he asks everyone to join him in thanking a teacher.
Kat 4 Obama says thank you to these great teachers from grade 4 through graduate school:
Mrs. Rosalie M. Mahakian
Sister Judith Mary
Mr. Ed Mullins
Mrs. Joan Philbin McCarthy
Dr. Sandra Graham
- Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes announces the top three schools in the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge.
- Vivek Kundra, Federal Chief Information Officer, describes the Administration's crackdown on wasteful, duplicative spending in Federal data centers.
- The First Lady thanks Federal employees in the kickoff to Public Service Recognition Week in this post from John Berry, United States Office of Personnel Management Director.
White House, May 2, 2011:
President Obama Discusses Death of Osama bin Laden Before Congressional Bipartisan Dinner
President Obama praises the military personnel and counter-terrorism personnel who planned and carried out the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden and calls again for the country to come together in unity in remarks before a Congressional Bipartisan Dinner at the White House.
Office of the Press Secretary, May 02, 2011:
Remarks by the President at Congressional Bipartisan Dinner
East Room
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Please -- thank you. Everybody, please have a seat. Good evening, all of you. On behalf of Michelle and myself, I just want to welcome everybody to the White House. We scheduled this dinner a few weeks ago because I thought it would be a good opportunity for leaders of both parties and their spouses to spend some time together outside of politics. And tonight seems like an especially fitting occasion to do this.
Obviously we’ve all had disagreements and differences in the past. I suspect we’ll have them again in the future. But last night, as Americans learned that the United States had carried out an operation that resulted in the capture and death of Osama bin Laden, we -- (applause) -- you know, I think we experienced the same sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. We were reminded again that there is a pride in what this nation stands for, and what we can achieve, that runs far deeper than party, far deeper than politics.
I want to again recognize the heroes who carried out this incredibly dangerous mission, as well as all the military and counter-terrorism professionals who made the mission possible. I also want to thank the members of Congress from both parties who have given extraordinary support to our military and our intelligence officials. Without your support, they could not do what they do.
I know that that unity that we felt on 9/11 has frayed a little bit over the years, and I have no illusions about the difficulties of the debates that we’ll have to be engaged in, in the weeks and months to come. But I also know there have been several moments like this during the course of this year that have brought us together as an American family, whether it was the tragedy in Tucson or, most recently, our unified response to the terrible storms that have taken place in the South.
Last night was one of those moments. And so tonight, it is my fervent hope that we can harness some of that unity and some of that pride to confront the many challenges that we still face. But to all of you here tonight, we are joyful that you could join us. And please have a little bit of fun. All right? Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)
White House, May 3, 2011:
Dr. Jill Biden: Thank You Mrs. Helwig
Posted by Dr. Jill Biden
Ed. Note: May 3rd is National Teacher Appreciation Day. Join Dr. Biden and thank a teacher today.
The best teachers are the ones whose lessons stay with you long after you leave their class. For me, that teacher was Mrs. Helwig, my composition teacher in high school.
At first, all of us were intimidated by her. Up there at the front of the room, she just had so much presence. As much as she was a force in the classroom, she had even more effect on me through what she demanded of our writing. Every paper would be covered in notes and comments, and we would have to go back and correct what we’d done wrong, or improve on things we could do better. It was hard work, but eventually I came to love Mrs. Helwig for having the confidence in me to demand so much. For her to take the time to review my work with such close detail told me, and all of my classmates, that she was invested in us.
When I became a teacher, I tried to bring some of Mrs. Helwig into the classroom with me. I want each of my students to know that I care about them and what they do as much as Mrs. Helwig cared about me. For thirty years, I’ve had the privilege of working with students who inspire me -- students who work hard to make it to class, in hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families. I hope I’ve been able to pass on to them the confidence and self-esteem that teachers like Mrs. Helwig helped build in me.
Just yesterday, I had the honor of welcoming the 2011 Teachers of the Year to the Vice President’s Residence. This gathering is always one of my favorite events of the year. The teachers always share stories about how they try to inspire their students, and in turn – how their students inspire them.
May 3 is National Teacher Appreciation Day. I hope you’ll join me in remembering the great teachers you’ve had in your life. Our young people are our future, and it is teachers who will make that future bright.
Department of Education, May 3, 2011:
Join Secretary Duncan in Thanking a Teacher on National Teacher Appreciation Day
Posted by Cameron Brenchley
In the video below, Secretary Duncan explains that today, May 3, “is a special day to give teachers the appreciation that they deserve every day,” and he asks all of us to join him in thanking a teacher on our own Facebook page.
2011 Teacher Appreciation Day Message from Secretary Arne Duncan
Secretary Duncan calls on Americans to "thank a teacher" on 2011 National Teacher Appreciation Day.
Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.
Posting a simple “thank you” and the name of a teacher who has inspired you is just one small way to appreciate such important individuals, but it isn’t limited to only Facebook. If you are a regular on Twitter, give a shout-out to your favorite teacher by using the hashtag #thankateacher, or feel free to thank teachers wherever you frequent online. Some of us may be more comfortable picking up the phone or writing a quick note to a truly influential teacher, yet no matter your method of communication, we can all reach out and provide a heartfelt “thank you.” After all, if you can read this blog post, you have a teacher to thank.
Publicly recognizing great teachers is an easy way to show appreciation, but there are, of course, more enduring ways to elevate the teaching profession to its rightful place in our society. We at the Department of Education know that support for teachers should be continuous, which is why one of ED’s top priorities is to continue strengthening the teaching profession. In an open letter to teachers yesterday, Arne said that he considers teaching “an honorable and important profession, and it is my goal to see that you are treated with the dignity we award to other professionals in society.” It’s about time we recognize teachers for what they truly are: the nation-builders of the 21st century.
Read more about Arne’s favorite teacher Mrs. McCampbell, and more about other ED events during Teacher Appreciation Week.
White House, May 2, 2011:
The Results Are In
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik
Drum roll please…
The results of the public rating period are in, and today we’re excited to announce the top three schools in the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge!
Watch this video from Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes to find out which schools made the top three:
Later this week, President Obama will select the winning school from one of the top three. Over the past week, nearly 100,000 people from across the country submitted almost 300,000 ratings.
We want to thank all of the schools who participated in this year’s Commencement Challenge, especially our six finalists. These schools represent the very best American public education has to offer. We are so proud of the all the teachers, students, administrators, parents and communities who are working together to help meet President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.
White House, May 3, 2011:
Cracking Down on Wasteful, Duplicative Spending
Posted by Vivek Kundra, Federal Chief Information Officer
For too long, the Federal Government allowed the American people’s hard-earned tax dollars to fund ineffective and duplicative projects, failing to leverage advances in technology to achieve savings. The result is that taxpayer dollars have been wasted. This should never be tolerated, but particularly with the tough fiscal situation, it’s unacceptable. It’s time that we live within our means, cut the waste too prevalent in Washington, and live up to our responsibility to the American people.
The President has made it a priority of his Administration to change the way Washington does business. As he has said many times, including in his State of the Union Address, reducing overlap and duplication within the federal government is critical to ensuring that our government operates more efficiently and effectively.
When it comes to information technology, there is no better way to identify duplication than to look at the very infrastructure that powers duplicative systems. Since 1998, the number of Federal data centers has risen from 432 to more than 2,000. The proliferation of infrastructure has created an environment that enables redundant systems and applications to sprout like weeds – with hundreds of redundant applications, more than 24,000 websites and hundreds of HR and financial management systems across the government.
To crack down on this wasteful spending, last week I announced agency plans to close 137 data centers by the end of 2011, of which 39 have already been shut down. For example, HHS is shutting down a data center in Rockville, Maryland that is 14,992 square feet and requires $1.2 million annually for electricity costs alone.
In total, we plan to shutdown at least 800 data centers, some 40% of our inventory over the next four and a half years. The consolidation of these data centers is expected to save over $3 billion.
In shutting down redundant and under-utilized data centers, we are starving the duplicative infrastructure that breeds unnecessary applications and wasteful IT spending.
White House, May 2, 2011:
Public Service Recognition Week
Posted by John Berry, United States Office of Personnel Management Director
Sunday was the start of Public Service Recognition Week. It’s a time to thank professional public servants - the people behind the scenes. Wherever you live, they are the people who pick up the phone when you call 911, and the police and firefighters who come to your door; the teachers in your schools and the people who maintain your local parks.
Federal public servants may not always be as visible, but they are in every state as well. They focus on national security and law enforcement tasks like protecting our borders; they pursue criminals who cross state lines and care for our veterans. Others make sure our roads and rails are designed and built safely and that our food and water supply is clean.
Public servants do a million things you may take for granted every day. Since 1985, we’ve taken this week to learn more about what public servants do and show our appreciation. First Lady Michelle Obama wanted to be the first to thank Federal employees. Click below to hear what she has to say.
Learn more about Public Service Recognition Week.
"Fifty years ago, in his state of the union address, President John F. Kennedy declared, 'Let the public service be a proud and lively career. And let every man and woman who works in any area of our national government, in any branch, at any level, be able to say with pride and with honor in future years: 'I served the United States Government in that hour of our nation's need.'
We believe public service is, as Kennedy envisioned, a noble calling and we are grateful to all those who serve."