[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO SHANNON DYKSTRA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2009

  Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the excellence 
in education in the 4th Congressional District of Iowa, and to 
specifically congratulate Shannon Dykstra of Nora Springs-Rock Falls 
Community School District, who earned the National Board 
Certification--the highest level of certification in the teaching 
profession.
  National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program 
designed to recognize and reward great teachers. National Board 
Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have successfully demonstrated advanced 
teaching knowledge, skills and practices. Certification is achieved 
through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes 
one to three years to complete. Certification is offered in 25 
different subjects, covering 97 percent of the subjects taught in K-12 
schools.
  I congratulate Shannon Dykstra on her well-deserved certification, 
and I'm certain that she will continue to touch the lives of many youth 
in her community. It is a great honor to represent Shannon in the 
United States Congress, and I wish her continued success.

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