[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 121 (Friday, August 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING FLORIDA TEACHER OF THE YEAR RECIPIENT ALVIN DAVIS FOR HIS 
                    EXEMPLARY SERVICE AND DEDICATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 5, 2011

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
honor Mr. Alvin A. Davis, who as a teacher has shown outstanding merit 
and dedication to his profession and who has been a source of 
inspiration and courage for hundreds of students in my hometown of 
Miramar, Florida. For his accomplishments as the head band and music 
teacher for Miramar High School, Mr. Davis has recently been awarded 
the 2012 Florida Department of Education's prestigious Teacher of the 
Year Award. Additionally, Mr. Davis has previously been recognized as 
the 2011 Broward County Teacher of the Year and the African-American 
Community Unsung Hero Award in 2010 for his dedication to his students 
and the community.
  While Mr. Davis teaches music, many see him as more than just a 
`music teacher.' For the past ten years he has taken the initiative to 
go above and beyond his duties as a teacher and makes the focus of his 
class on three things: academics, discipline, and music. He requires 
his students to receive one-on-one counseling with a member of the band 
staff and he personally reviews students' report cards and interim 
reports, even though it may not be part of his job description. Every 
school band rehearsal includes a one-hour study hall where students are 
tutored, even though his school may not have the budget for it.
  But what is most outstanding is how Mr. Davis has made it his 
personal mission to ensure that his students make it on to college and 
move on to a brighter future, one that some students could never dream 
of. The Broward County school district confirms that for the past three 
years, every student who was a regular participating member of the 
Miramar High band program has gone on to college. Mr. Davis personally 
counsels his students on their future decisions and requires that 
seniors be only able to perform if they have registered for the ACT or 
SAT and if they can prove that they have applied to a college or 
university. Through his vision and steadfast dedication, Mr. Davis has 
single-handedly transformed the lives and futures of hundreds of 
students and their families.
  Education is the back-bone of our country. It is what has made 
America prosperous, what has made the quality of life in this country 
the envy of the world, and what has safeguarded our democracy. Yet 
today we live in a time where the American education system, once 
ranked as top in the world, has slipped and tumbled to the point of not 
even making top twenty in some categories. Unfortunately, there are 
some voices who now decry the public education system as hopeless and 
worthy of scrapping. To those who have lost faith, I say that they 
should hear of the vision and successes of Mr. Alvin Davis who is 
dedicated, selfless, and capable, and works tirelessly every single day 
to transform the future of Florida's education system.
  Mr. Speaker, as we recognize and honor Mr. Alvin A. Davis today for 
his accomplishments and his dedication, may we also recognize the hope 
and light educators like Mr. Davis bring to the future of this country.

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