[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE POWER OF EDUCATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the tremendous work 
by several Ohioans and to reflect on what the power of education has on 
our young people today, as reflected by the boards.
  It has been said: ``A quality education has the power to transform 
societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection 
they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation, and disease, 
and give them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full 
potential.''
  I met with Columbus City Schools Board of Education members W. Shawna 
Gibbs, Michael Cole, and Gahanna-Jefferson Public School Board 
President Beryl Brown Piccolantonio. These three dedicated educators 
and advocates, along with a whole host of others from across the Third 
Congressional District, are working day and night to ensure every child 
has the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full 
potential.
  Across my whole district, whether that be Worthington, East Columbus, 
Reynoldsburg, to Groveport Madison, and everywhere in between, people 
respect the power of education.
  Another Ohioan committed to making this goal a reality for more 
students is Jamie Spero. For over a decade, Jamie has been with 
Sandusky City Schools, where she currently teaches ninth grade English.
  Her hard work and unique ability to connect with students and people 
has made all the difference. Under her tutelage, students have achieved 
an 85 percent passage rate on the State aptitude test, and in the 
process, achieved the highest value-added score in the English 
department 2 years in a row.
  Mr. Speaker, we need more people like Jamie, Shawna, Michael, and 
Beryl.
  Or as Jamie recently said to me:

       We need more educators to let students know daily that they 
     can achieve anything they can put their minds to no matter 
     their race, abilities, or anything negative they have been 
     told.

  Yes, America's next generation of leaders are today's students, and 
many will go on to be great teachers, doctors, first responders, 
lawyers, scientists, astronauts, you name it, and, yes, even Members of 
Congress.
  So I was particularly honored to find out that two of my youngest 
constituents were inspired by me.

  Recently, Catharine dressed up as me for Worthington Evening Street 
Elementary's Black History Month living wax museum.
  Similarly, Jamia, a student at A-Plus Children's Academy Community 
School, did a presentation on my decades-long service to central Ohio.
  As part of their projects, Catharine and Jamia highlighted my career. 
I am flattered, but I want them to know, and every other young person, 
that being the first is great, but we need to have a second and third, 
because each of us has the responsibility to mentor the next 
generation.
  For example, last month, students from Grace Christian School in 
Blacklick, including a student, 5 years old in kindergarten, were 
studying Martin Luther King's ``I Have a Dream'' speech, and 5-year-old 
Leah said:

       We learned what happened to people like Ruby Bridges and 
     Rosa Parks just wasn't right. We should treat everyone 
     fairly.

  So I stand here today on the shoulders of heroes and sheroes who have 
inspired Americans of all backgrounds for decades, even centuries, to 
still do that: treat people fairly.
  Mr. Speaker, whether it is the KIPP School, Bexley High School, Ohio 
Media School, Columbus Africentric, or Columbus School for Girls, King 
famously said: ``The function of education is to teach one to think 
intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that 
is the goal of true education.''
  Thanks to all the hardworking teachers, educators, parents, mentors 
past and present, students in central Ohio and far beyond are embracing 
the power of education and its positive effect on the lives of so many 
in our classrooms.
  Let us salute these students and teachers for a job well done.

                          ____________________