[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H3175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, 
and I rise today to say a heartfelt ``thank you'' to the teachers 
across the country. This apple is but a symbol of my gratitude for all 
that teachers have given to me. I have been fortunate enough to live 
the American dream.
  My teachers were ones who made it all possible, whether it was Ms. 
Barber, who taught me in my early years at Cleveland School; or Coach 
Bruce Coats, who taught me that it was not enough just to work hard, 
but that you had to work smart; or Coach Fred McCall, who helped me 
focus my hard work in college both on and off the basketball court; or 
any of those who came in-between. My teachers helped shape who I am.
  I recently received a letter from a teacher in Johnston County who 
was worried about our children. And she said, ``In these tough budget 
times, cutting funding in education now means shortchanging an entire 
generation of learners for the future.''
  I urge my colleagues today to join me in thanking teachers and 
working to support funding for the teachers who will shape our Nation's 
future. As Americans, let us work to make every day a day we say 
``thank you'' to the teachers who mold the future.

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