[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RICHARD HAIRE RETIRES FROM CORRALES ELEMENTARY

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                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, we all know that our schools 
will never be any better than the men and women who teach in them. I 
rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable teacher who has made Corrales 
Elementary one of the best in my home state of New Mexico.
  Corrales has been truly fortunate to have someone of the talents and 
dedication of Mr. Haire within the community. It is an honor to be able 
to recognize him on this special occasion.
  After serving as an exemplary elementary school teacher in New Mexico 
for more than 32 years, Richard Haire is retiring the chalk, and will 
end a career that will conclude with teaching a fifth grade class of 
children at Corrales Elementary for twenty-three consecutive years. I 
say he is retiring the chalk because I know that he will continue to 
contribute to the community in a variety of ways.
  Mr. Haire graduated second in a class of 360 in 1965 from Commack 
High School in upstate New York, where his classmates voted him most 
likely to succeed. He graduated cum laude from the State University of 
New York with a BA in psychology, and then received his Ms in Education 
from Syracuse University.
  In addition to teaching children, Mr. Haire was a mentor to scores of 
his colleagues. Indeed, he is a teacher's teacher. His greatest service 
to our community lies in his devotion as an educator to his students. 
He deserves the greatest praise both from the families of these young 
individuals, and from all those whose lives he has touched. His efforts 
are an invaluable investment in New Mexico's future and we are all 
truly blessed that we had such a dedicated professional in the 
classroom.
  It is impossible to find a former student whose life has not been 
changed positively by Mr. Haire. Everyone can point to a turning point 
where his teaching caused each to embark upon a course of action. In 
his service to education, Mr. Haire embraced the principle that one 
person can make a difference, by leading by example, getting people 
involved, touching everything and everyone in the community.
  Teachers like Richard Haire do make a difference. I believe so 
strongly in education. I know that as we battle the ills of our 
society--poverty and hopelessness--education is the great beacon and 
the great hope. I strongly believe that our public school system will 
continue to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The commitment Mr. 
Haire has made to children both in and out of the classroom continues 
to illustrate the power of a single person.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1818, Thomas Jefferson said, ``A system of general 
education, which shall reach every description of our citizens from the 
richest to the poorest, as it was the earliest, so will it be the 
latest of all the public concerns in which I shall permit myself to 
take an interest.'' This quotation embodies Richard Haire's career.
  We will dearly miss his service at Corrales Elementary.

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