[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     MEMPHIS TEACHER MAKES NATIONAL HONOR ROLL OF SCIENCE TEACHERS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HAROLD E. FORD, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 1997

  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Carl Leon 
Lamon, a teacher at Douglas Elementary School in Memphis, TN. Mr. Lamon 
has been named to the 1997 Honor Roll of Teachers by the Association of 
Science-Technology Centers [ASTC]. ASTC is a nonprofit organization 
with over 400 science museums in 40 countries.
  This is a prestigious award that is given to only 51 teachers picked 
from teachers in the United States and 10 other countries. Winning 
teachers have demonstrated an exceptional degree of creativity and 
dedication. They go above and beyond the call of duty to inspire, 
motivate, and stimulate their students to achieve in science and 
technology.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a tremendous need to educate more of our young 
people in science and math. The United States has held a position of 
world leadership in scientific research and development since World War 
II. It has made us the economic, political, and military leader of the 
20th century. But if we expect to maintain this leadership role, we 
must continue our commitment to science and math.
  According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for 
Education Statistics, high school graduates in 1992 were more likely to 
take science courses at the level of biology or higher than their 
counterparts in 1982. Part of the reason for this improvement is the 
dedication of teachers such as Mr. Lamon. He is making science an 
interesting, fun and fulfilling learning experience for hundreds of 
elementary school students in Memphis. Many of these students will take 
advanced science and math courses in high school and will be prepared 
for a successful post-secondary academic experience. Again, I salute 
Carl Leon Lamon and ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives 
to join me in honoring this impressive achievement.

                          ____________________