[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TEACHER APPRECIATION

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                           HON. JENNIFER DUNN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 1999

  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
teacher in my district of Washington State during Teacher Appreciation 
Week. This special teacher is Mark Oglesby, a government instructor at 
Tahoma High School in Maple Valley, Washington. Mark is a dynamic 
teacher who is consistently praised by both his peers and students for 
his dedication to helping government come alive for Tahoma High School 
students.
  Each year, I have the pleasure of talking with Mark and his students 
when they visit Washington, D.C. for the We the People civic education 
program. The ``We the People'' program is a three-day national 
competition modeled on the hearings here in the United States Congress.
  For the past several years, Mark has taught a class of students who, 
under his guidance, have won their state competition and then have come 
to Washington, D.C. to compete against other states at the national 
level. The extra time Mark takes with students shows in their 
consistent achievement.
  Each spring I host a mock congress for high school students in my 
district to help them to gain hand-on experience of our government at 
work. These students elect a Speaker, run committees and hearings, 
write legislation, and lobby their fellow students to vote for their 
bills. Each year the students in Mark Oglesby's class stand out with 
their knowledge of how our democratic system of government works.
  Mark also serves as the tennis and volleyball coach at Tahoma High, 
and as a Maple Valley City Councilman. He is clearly dedicated to 
teaching and willing to dedicate personal time to support the ideas in 
which he believes. Mr. Speaker, Mark Oglesby is one of our state's 
exemplary teachers. We are fortunate he is helping to train the leaders 
of our next generation.

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