[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 36 (Monday, March 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING RYAN LAFFERTY FOR HIS RECOGNITION AS A MILKEN EDUCATOR 
                              AWARD WINNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 7, 2016

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Ryan 
Lafferty, a teacher in the Bellevue School District who has been 
recognized as a winner of the prestigious Milken Educator Award.
  The Milken Educator Awards are bestowed upon educators by the Milken 
Family Foundation to celebrate, elevate, and activate excellence in the 
teaching profession. The award is given to teachers who exhibit 
exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional 
practices and educational accomplishments beyond the classroom.
  Mr. Lafferty has been a teacher at the International School in 
Bellevue for six years and is highly praised for his interdisciplinary 
project-based teaching style, which incorporates seemingly unrelated 
subjects like math, history, and the arts. He has developed a problem-
based curriculum for Advanced Placement Physics where students build 
Roman arches, projectile instruments such as slingshots and catapults, 
and a single-string instrument called a Diddley bow. Mr. Lafferty's 
classes are in high demand due to his track record of implementing 
creative lesson plans and for his infectious positive attitude.
  Mr. Lafferty is also beloved for the positive influence that he 
provides for his students. He makes himself available to students 
outside of class time if they need academic help, or if they need to 
talk for any other reason. He prioritizes the success of his students 
by regularly hosting meetings with students to determine what works in 
his class, and what can be improved. It is for these reasons that Mr. 
Lafferty is considered a role model by many of his students.
  Mr. Lafferty, who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University 
of Washington in 2008 and received a Master's Degree in Teaching from 
Seattle University in 2010. He has worked with the Bellevue School 
District, the University of Washington and the George Lucas Educational 
Foundation to further develop his AP Physics curriculum in hopes of the 
program being implemented nationally. Lafferty is a National Honors 
Society advisor who serves on the school's middle and high school 
science clubs and travels to the state science bowl.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I congratulate teacher Ryan 
Lafferty for being honored with the Milken Educator Award. It is my 
great pleasure to recognize his dedication and service to his students 
and to the community.

                          ____________________