[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 146 (Wednesday, November 13, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IDAHO'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR

 Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, I rise today to salute a very 
special teacher in my State, Patti Perry, who was recently named as 
Idaho's Teacher of the Year.
  Patti Perry teaches first grade at Skyway Elementary School in Coeur 
d'Alene. She has taught in Coeur d'Alene for 30 years, and there are 
many people in the community who look back fondly on the lessons they 
learned from her. In fact, one of her former students said that she has 
``been in my heart since the first day of first grade.'' I'm sure this 
is a sentiment shared by many.
  I come from a family of teachers, so I know how much a good teacher 
can affect the life of a student. What that teacher imparts in a 
classroom can stay with a student for the rest of his or her life. It's 
obvious that Mrs. Perry has had such an impact. She assesses every 
student individually and tailors her lessons to them. She is a leader 
in the school and a mentor to other teachers. And, most important of 
all, she inspires her students to strive for their highest possible 
performance, academically and otherwise.
  It's not really a surprise that Mrs. Perry won this award. What is 
remarkable, though, is that she's Coeur d'Alene School District's third 
teacher in five years to be named as Idaho's Teacher of the Year. It's 
clear that the Coeur d'Alene District is doing something right. 
Kootenai County, which has Coeur d'Alene as its county seat, is one of 
the fastest growing counties in Idaho, and I suspect this might have 
something to do with the outstanding quality of schools in the county. 
I'm very proud of Mrs. Perry, and I'm also very proud of the Coeur 
D'Alene School District. They are both setting a great example for the 
rest of Idaho, and the rest of the Nation, to follow.

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