[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12640-S12641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONNECTICUT TEACHER OF THE YEAR

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to offer congratulations 
to an

[[Page S12641]]

outstanding mathematics teacher, Marianne Roche Cavanaugh, who has been 
named the 1998 Connecticut Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Cavanaugh has 
demonstrated a lifetime of dedication to the students of Glastonbury's 
Public Schools, and she has set a standard of excellence for both her 
students and other educators. I want to express my gratitude and 
admiration for the commitment that she has displayed over her 22 years 
in teaching.
  Mrs. Cavanaugh has had a distinguished career marked with various 
awards and achievements. She single-handedly created the Gideon Wells 
Marathon--an academic and community involvement program for 7th and 8th 
graders. Since 1994, students have raised more than $20,000 by securing 
pledges for each math problem they solve in 1 hour during the Marathon. 
The accumulated funds have been donated to charities chosen by the 
students. In addition, Mrs. Cavanaugh has directed district-wide 
professional development, and has co-developed a problem solving math 
curriculum, which emphasizes writing, calculator use, problem solving, 
and interdisciplinary activities. Imaginative and productive ideas such 
as these have earned Mrs. Cavanaugh the distinction of being a finalist 
for the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics 
and Science Teaching in both 1986 and 1998, as well as being the winner 
of the Celebration of Excellence Award in 1986.
  The purpose of the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Program is to 
identify, from among many outstanding teachers, one teacher to serve as 
a visible and vocal representative of what is best in the profession. 
Through her innovative ideas, dedication to the institutional 
development of mathematics, and love for her profession and her 
students, Mrs. Cavanaugh has clearly earned this prestigious honor.
  While I commend Mrs. Cavanaugh for her display of excellence in 
teaching, I want also to mention that her work is representative of the 
work of many educators that too often remain unrecognized. A survey 
done by the National Center for Education Statistics in 1995 found that 
only 54 percent of all teachers feel respected by society in their 
profession. Teachers fill an enormously important role in shaping the 
developmental experiences of children during the impressionable ages of 
childhood and adolescence. They serve not only to educate, but to 
mentor, motivate, influence, and inspire our children. Thanks to Mrs. 
Cavanaugh and other quality teachers like her throughout the State and 
the Nation, we have a brighter future ahead of us.

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