[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MRS. RITA HARLIEN--TEXAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR 1982

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                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 2009

  Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, El Paso, Texas is extremely fortunate to 
have some of the best teachers in the state and the country. As a 
parent and grandparent, I am appreciative of the work and dedication of 
our teachers and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the 
life and work of the late Mrs. Rita Harlien, a former teacher at 
Eastwood High School in the Ysleta Independent School District, for her 
dedication to her students and her designation as the 1982 Texas 
Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Rita Harlien received the highest honor that 
the State of Texas can award and her work with children is long lasting 
and enduring. Her children and the legacy she left behind remain alive 
in the community of El Paso, Texas.
  While teaching at Eastwood High School, her students competed in many 
University Interscholastic League State competitions and won a state 
championship in debate. In 1978 she was selected as Speech Teacher of 
the Year. In 1981 she served as President of the Texas Speech 
Communication Association. While working for the El Paso Independent 
School District, she completed her administration certification and 
coauthored two speech textbooks. After serving six years in 
administration, as a Facilitator of Academic Competition, in the El 
Paso District, Mrs. Harlien's love for teaching beckoned her back to 
Eastwood High School where she taught drama until she retired from 
teaching in 1998, after 34 years of service.
  Mrs. Rita Harlien is part of a larger history of educational 
excellence in El Paso. I am proud to note that to date El Paso area 
educators have been chosen as Texas Teachers of the Year nine times. 
The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and continues as 
the oldest, most prestigious national honors program that focuses 
public attention on excellence in teaching.
  I am proud of the work of our teachers, and I am committed to 
ensuring that education remains a top priority in this Congress.

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