[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       RECOGNIZING CONNIE KRUEGER

 Mr. JOHNSON. Madam President, Ralph Waldo Emerson once put 
into words what many know about the art of education, but many of us 
sometimes fail to realize: ``The secret of education is respecting the 
pupil.''
  I rise today to recognize an exceptional teacher whom we are 
fortunate to have in South Dakota, who has never forgotten this maxim. 
Indeed, she has chosen to live by it. Connie Krueger of Rapid City, SD 
was recently recognized for her commitment to education and to her 
students by the South Dakota Council of Teachers of English when she 
was named the 2003 Language Arts Teacher of the Year. I want to take a 
moment today to recognize Connie for this highly deserved honor, and to 
commend her lifelong dedication to learning and young people.
  I consider myself especially lucky to have known Connie before she 
formally became an educator, when we both roamed the halls of 
Vermillion High School as fellow students. Even as a teenager, it was 
evident that Connie had a passion for life and learning that was almost 
contagious. Connie and I were two of the many students influenced by 
another great teacher, Mrs. Donna Gross. Connie credits Mrs. Gross as 
being a large part of the reason for her decision to enter the field of 
education, and I know that Mrs. Gross is very proud of what Connie has 
done for students and education in South Dakota.
  One of Connie's many contributions to education in South Dakota is 
her participation in, and advocacy for, the Dakota Writing Project. 
Funded by the National Writing Project, the Dakota Writing Project is a 
collaborative university and school staff development program to 
improve the teaching and learning of writing in South Dakota 
classrooms. Connie has been instrumental in the growth and development 
of the project, which gives teachers the opportunity to learn from 
other teachers, while also demonstrating the cross-disciplinary 
importance of writing. Through her work with the project, Connie not 
only empowers her colleagues, but also provides educational benefits to 
all the lives that her colleagues touch.
  At the heart of everything that she does is the interest in her 
students. On her nomination form for the award, Connie wrote that she 
``will honestly answer any question my students ask, although I reserve 
the right to not answer if the question makes me uncomfortable. I've 
yet to use that veto.'' It is this kind of respect and openness with 
her students, coupled with her love for the subject matter, that has 
made he such an exceptional educator.
  Her love of education, and of English, is also evident in the 
professions that her own children, Mike and Heidi, have chosen. Mike 
aspires to be a teacher, and Heidi is completing her doctorate in 
linguistics at the University of Chicago. I know Mike and Heidi are 
very proud of the prestigious honor bestowed upon their mother, and the 
hard work and dedication she has shown them over the years.
  In a recent article highlighting her award, Connie stated that her 
goal for this year has been, ``Be joyful.'' Well, thanks to Connie, 
much joy, knowledge, and inspiration has been shared with students and 
educators across South Dakota.
  I consider myself one of the many lucky South Dakotans whose lives 
have been touched by Connie, and I thank her for her hard work, her 
dedication, and for sharing her passion for life and learning with all 
of us. Our State is truly blessed by her extraordinary talent and 
commitment to educational excellence.

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