[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 109 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       A GREAT POINT-OF-LIGHT FOR ALL AMERICANS: REGINALD WEAVER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 2006

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute a dynamic trailblazer who 
continues to set a productive pace for positive change within the ranks 
of the Nation's education leaders. Reginald Weaver is a magnificent 
Great Point-of-Light. He is both profound and practical in his pursuit 
of school improvement across the Nation for all children. In addition 
to protecting the interests of the largest organization of teachers, he 
is a tireless spokesman for education policy-making and the need to 
increase expenditures for the basics which support opportunities to 
learn: improved and new school facilities; teacher training and 
compensation; adequate school libraries; science laboratories; computer 
instruction; and other necessities.
  As a strong advocate for public education, Reginald Weaver was 
elected president of the 2.7 million-member National Education 
Association. He has traveled across the country as an ambassador for 
public education, stressing the association's mission to ensure that 
every child in America can attend a great public school right in his or 
her own neighborhood. In order to have great public schools, Mr. Weaver 
has outlined six areas that need to be addressed: parental involvement, 
high-quality school employees, high-quality classroom instruction, 
educators who give their best to every child, a high-quality teacher in 
every classroom, and fixing and funding the No Child Left Behind law. 
His NEA career started as a local president in Harvey, IL and 
eventually he became the president of the Illinois Education 
Association from 1981 to 1987; served on the NEA Executive Committee 
from 1989 to 1995 and as NEA vice president from 1996 to 2002. In 
addition, he serves on the executive board of the National Council for 
the Accreditation of Teacher Education and on the board of governors of 
the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Among his many 
accomplishments, he was named to the Ebony 2004 100+ Most Influential 
Black Americans list and was featured in Who's Who, as well as in Who's 
Who in Black America.
  For his continuing leadership on the frontlines in the crusade for 
excellence in education, we salute Reginald Weaver as a Great Point-of-
Light for all Americans.

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