[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5343-S5344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE CONNECTICUT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ON ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, there are many things about my home 
state of Connecticut that are a source of great pride to its people, 
but few are greater than the overall quality of our state's public 
schools. Connecticut students are performing at the highest levels in 
the nation on federally sponsored standardized tests. Three out of four 
Connecticut public school students go on to pursue higher education. 
And our public school students have outperformed students from private 
and parochial schools in our state.
  Many people have contributed to the quality of our public schools, in 
particular our parents and students. But the backbone of Connecticut's 
public schools is its teachers. In my view, they are the finest in the 
country, and there are numbers that back me up. More than 80 percent of 
Connecticut's public school teachers have advanced degrees, the highest 
percentage in the country. They are among the nation's most experienced 
teachers, with the average teacher having taught for more than 15 
years. And the greatest testament to the quality of their teaching is 
the accomplishments of Connecticut's students.

[[Page S5344]]

  One organization, more than any other, has worked to ensure that 
Connecticut's children are taught by the finest teachers in the 
country, and that organization is the Connecticut Education Association 
(CEA).
  The CEA is a membership organization that represents nearly 30,000 
elementary and secondary public school teachers in our state. Through 
the years, the CEA has consistently promoted the value of public 
education, encouraged public awareness of the resources needed to 
provide quality education, and emphasized the importance of the teacher 
in the education process.
  This is a significant year for the CEA: it celebrates its 150th 
anniversary. Over the past century and a half, the Association has been 
a consistent champion of children, teachers, and public education, and 
today, its voice on education issues is as strong as ever. There is no 
job more important than teaching our children, and I would like to 
thank and congratulate the Connecticut Education Association for a job 
well done. I wish them all the best as they celebrate this anniversary 
and continued success in the future.

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