[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 7, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S3952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL TEACHER DAY

 Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, I come to the floor today to 
recognize National Teacher Day and all the hard-working, dedicated 
teachers that spend every day preparing our Nation's children for 
tomorrow.
  National Teacher Day is an opportunity to let millions of teachers 
across the Nation know how much we value and appreciate their work. It 
is a chance to salute the dedicated individuals who touch the future by 
teaching our children.
  We recognize teachers like Jennifer Erbe, the 2002 Iowa Teacher of 
the Year. I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer last month and was 
impressed with her passion for children and her ingenuity in the 
classroom. She is one of Iowa's youngest teachers and we not only need 
to find ways to keep her in the classroom but to encourage more of our 
best and brightest young people to enter the profession as well.
  As we celebrate National Teachers Day, we must not forget that 
teachers need more than just a few kinds words about the work they do 
or a pat on the back. They don't need empty rhetoric about the 
importance of education but need us to provide the resources necessary 
to do the job right.
  Last year, we passed the Elementary and Secondary Education 
reauthorization and talked a lot about the need for education reform 
and quality teachers. We are demanding greater accountability, but also 
promised increased federal investments. Last year we provided education 
with a 16 percent increase. That was a good start. However, President 
Bush's first budget since the passage of his education reform bill 
provides only 2.8 percent increase in funding, the smallest increase 
since 1996.
  In my home State of Iowa, State budget cuts are forcing school 
districts to cut back on the number of teachers for the next school 
year. Some are laying off teachers. Others are not replacing teachers 
that will retire. The reality for Iowa children next fall will be 
larger classes and fewer opportunities.
  In the next 10 years, 40 percent of Iowa teachers will retire and we 
need to address that problem now. That is why these lay offs are so 
troubling, because they are hitting the very teachers that we were 
counting on to offset the impending retirements.
  We face many serious challenges in our nation's schools and no one 
worries more about the child that is getting left behind than the 
classroom teacher. We make sure all children succeed by providing high 
quality preschool programs, small class sizes, modern buildings and up-
to-date teachers.
  Someone once wrote, ``If you can read this, thank a teacher.'' Our 
words are important and take the time to thank a teacher today. But 
let's not just offer kind words to our teachers, let's dedicate 
ourselves to make sure teachers have the tools they need in the 
classroom to get the job done. 

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