[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 7, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here today 
as the Democratic cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's 
Issues, being the first cochair of this millennium, and happy to share 
this role with my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois 
(Mrs. Biggert).
  We will be submitting an education appropriation to address the role 
of education and our children.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here today to celebrate March as Women's History 
Month and to highlight the extraordinary achievements of all women 
throughout our history, while recognizing the equally significant 
obstacles they have had to overcome along the road to success.
  Women's History Month has progressed from Women's History Week, 
established in 1978, to coincide with International Women's Day, which 
we will celebrate tomorrow, March 8th.
  It is during this time that we acknowledge American women of all 
cultures, classes and ethnic backgrounds who have served as leaders in 
the forefront of every major progressive social change movement, not 
only to secure their own rights to equal opportunity, but also in the 
abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor 
movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements to create a 
more fair and just civil society for all.
  Women have played, and continue to play, a critical economic, 
cultural and social role in every sphere of our Nation's life by 
constituting a significant portion of the labor workforce working in 
and out of the home.
  One of the most significant roles of women is that of mother, bearing 
children, nurturing and protecting their children.
  In an effort to provide for the well-being of her children, a mother 
takes charge of all health and educational needs critical to the 
child's development. Thus tonight we will focus on women and education.
  As a mother and grandmother, I am well aware of the importance of a 
quality education in the lives of young people and know that next to 
mother a teacher is probably one of the most influential persons in a 
child's life.
  As a former educator and the only Member of Congress to serve on the 
National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, I have been 
committed to promoting quality teachers in our Nation's public schools.
  Tonight I would like to discuss the issues of teacher recruitment, 
retention and professional development.
  Mr. Speaker, it is widely recognized that investments in teacher 
knowledge are among the most productive means of increasing student 
learning. Despite our gains, much work still needs to be done. We need 
to ensure that all of this Nation's children are taught by well-
prepared and well-qualified teachers who have access to ongoing 
professional development and lifelong learning opportunities.
  The creation of more vigorous and rigorous professional standards for 
teachers is one methodology to address teacher preparedness. These 
standards ensure that teachers will know the subjects they teach and 
how to teach those subjects to children; that they will understand how 
children learn and what to do when they are having difficulty; and that 
they will be able to use effective teaching methodology for those who 
are learning easily, as well as for those who have special needs.
  While new teaching standards may hold great possibilities for raising 
the quality of teacher preparation, these advances will have little 
impact on the Nation's most vulnerable students if school districts 
continue to hire teachers who are emergency credentialed and who are 
assigned to teach outside of their field of expertise.
  According to the Journal of Teacher Education, students learn 
significantly less from teachers who are not prepared in their teaching 
area. Fields like mathematics, physical science, special education, and 
bilingual education are suffering from a shortage of teachers across 
different regions of this country.
  These shortages occur in part because some States prepare relatively 
few teachers but have rapidly growing student enrollment. In my State 
of California, enrollments are projected to increase by more than 20 
percent in that State by the year 2007.
  In order to achieve the educational goals and success we hold for all 
of our children, we must develop strategies that do not trade off 
student learning for the hiring of unqualified teachers. In addition, 
we must be willing to provide qualified teachers, especially in the 
urban areas, with professional salaries and much needed training and 
services.
  Mr. Speaker, we are proud to celebrate this month as Women's History 
Month.
  We also need to create high quality mentor programs for beginning 
teachers and expand teacher education programs in high need fields so 
that individuals wishing to teach math, science and special education 
can obtain the training necessary to accomplish their goals. I am 
committed to ensuring that America's teachers are well trained, and 
well compensated. What goes on in classrooms between teachers and 
students may be the core of education, but it is profoundly shaped by 
the policies we propose and pass in Congress. We must support the work 
of teachers and school administrators and work together to strengthen 
America's educational system. It is my hope that together, we can 
develop innovative methods to ensure that there is a competent, caring, 
and qualified teacher for every child in the United States of America. 
Women across America let's celebrate this month and showcase the 
accomplishments of women.




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