[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 135 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        A TRIBUTE TO SARAH BERNDT--2013 MILKEN EDUCATOR HONOREE

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                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 3, 2013

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sarah Berndt, a 
Milwaukee Public School teacher at Ronald Reagan College Preparatory 
High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ms. Berndt, recipient of the 2013 
Milken Educator Award, teaches ninth grade Spanish and an introductory 
international baccalaureate class.
  Ms. Berndt, one of only 40 teachers in the United States to receive 
this prestigious award in 2013, was honored before her peers, students 
and dignitaries at Ronald Reagan High School on October 2, 2013. The 
Milken Educator Award was founded in 1985 by the Milken Family 
Foundation. The award recognizes early and midcareer teachers who have 
made a significant impact and have promising futures in the field.
  Ms. Berndt pursued teaching as a career because: ``I wanted to 
inspire and be inspired. I wanted it to be more of a collaborative 
adventure than a dictatorship. I wanted to be different.'' Ms. Berndt 
has taught at Ronald Reagan High School for three years and is 
respected by students and faculty alike.
  In order to be considered for a Milken Award, the individual must 
exhibit the following attributes: exhibit exceptional instructional 
talent and student learning results; demonstrate accomplishments 
outside the classroom that provide a model of professional excellence; 
be an early to midcareer educator who offers long-range potential for 
leadership; and be an educator whose contributions may be unheralded 
but worthy of the spotlight.
  Ms. Berndt has met all the criteria and has made a difference in the 
lives of her students and faculty at Ronald Reagan College Preparatory 
High School. She has inspired the entire Milwaukee Public System with 
her achievement.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Sarah Berndt. The citizens of the 
Fourth Congressional District and the state of Wisconsin are privileged 
to have someone of her ability and dedicated service teaching and 
guiding our future leaders. I am honored, for these reasons, to pay 
tribute to Sarah Berndt.

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