[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 161 (Tuesday, November 27, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2140-E2141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               GUILLERMO A. GOMEZ: TEACHER OF EXCELLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 27, 2001

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, and colleagues, I rise today to recognize 
and honor Guillermo A. Gomez, a sixth-grade bilingual teacher at Vista 
Square Elementary School in Chula Vista, California.
  Mr. Gomez was nominated by the California Teachers Association (CTA) 
for the prestigious National Education Association Foundation Award for 
Teaching Excellence. He was the only California teacher, chosen from a 
pool of more than 300,000 educators, to represent our state of 
California. Although he was not the final winner, his nomination is a 
glowing tribute to his service to our children.
  CTA President Wayne Johnson's nomination letter includes the 
following information about Mr. Gomez and his achievements: ``CTA 
conducted a search for nominees for this prestigious award. Many 
excellent California teachers were nominated, but Mr. Gomez stood head 
and shoulders above the rest. Not only is he an excellent teacher, but 
he is also an inspiring one. He created an after-school program called 
Circle of Little Brothers and Circle of Little Sisters, where he helps 
upper-elementary students explore possibilities for their futures. He 
coordinates an after-school homework center and takes the lead in 
training staff on English language development standards.
  Becoming concerned that there were few males, especially of Latino 
descent, who were involved in a school with many Latino children, Mr. 
Gomez, along with another teacher, created a group called ``Mi Papa'' 
in the community resource center. This program helps bring fathers into 
the school community as role models and pairs them with children in 
educational and art activities.
  Despite the fact that he has been a teacher for only six years, Mr. 
Gomez is active in his local CTA chapter, Chula Vista Educators. He 
serves on many communities and, as an association representative, he 
kept teachers in his school informed and focused during recent 
negotiations with the school district. He is also the chair of the 
political action committee for his local association. In short, CTA 
believes that Mr. Gomez exemplifies all the qualities that are present 
in the best teachers: dedication, caring, innovation and creativity, 
and teaching excellence.''
  Both Marilyn Prall, Principal, and Martha Deichler, Associate 
Principal of his school, who was Mr. Gomez' mentor, attest to his 
efforts to grow professionally and to become the best teacher 
possible--asking for advice, taking suggestions, and making them work 
in his own classroom. They believe that his passion for teaching has 
enabled him to become the excellent teacher he is today.
  Mr. Gomez also works outside the classroom walls with the families of 
his students. He believes that only as an active social agent in the 
community can a teacher provide opportunities for students to advance 
in this competitive society. He participates in literacy nights, 
harvest carnivals, job-a-thons, and fundraising activities, such as car 
washes and haunted houses, to make sure that all of his students can go 
to sixth grade camp. In his ``spare time'', he also coaches soccer!
  Mr. Gomez' public service goes beyond his local community. He and his 
students are often involved in charitable activities to help victims of 
natural disasters thousands of miles away. He is compassionate and 
appreciative of all people and cultures. His students know that he 
cares deeply about them and their families, and they return year after 
year to visit Mr. Gomez after their elementary school graduation.
  Mr. Gomez is a graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU) and 
holds a Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language Academic Development multiple 
subject credential. He will receive his Master's Degree in Latin 
American studies from SDSU this coming summer. In addition, he 
regularly attends Saturday workshops, after-school in servicing 
training, and district workshops. He reads professionally and 
implements in his classroom the methods and ideas supported by current 
research.
  Mr. Gomez knows the abilities of each and every one of his students 
and works to help each child achieve his or her full potential. He is 
proud to be a teacher, and I am proud that he is a teacher in my 
Congressional District. He will be honored by the National Education 
Association Foundation for the Improvement of Education in Washington, 
DC on December 6, 2001.

[[Page E2141]]

  A sincere thank you, Mr. Gomez, for your dedication to our young 
people, the future of our nation.

                          ____________________