[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8398-8402]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. 
Yesterday was National Teacher Day.
  For a number of our colleagues, education is such a core subject--
both of the 105th Congress and now in the 106th Congress--Members want 
to express themselves on this subject.
  I am joined today by the distinguished Senator from Mississippi with 
some opening remarks about Teacher Appreciation Week.
  I yield up to 4 minutes to the Senator from Mississippi.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, let me congratulate my friend, the 
distinguished Senator from Georgia, for organizing this special order 
and allowing this opportunity to speak on the subject of Teacher 
Appreciation Week.


      Tribute to Tina Scholtes, Mississippi's Teacher of the Year

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am proud to cosponsor the Senate 
Resolution proclaiming this week Teacher Appreciation Week.
  This week, in every state, students and parents are taking time to 
thank the school teachers, and we should too. They are the true heroes 
in our nation's effort to enrich the lives of all our citizens through 
education.
  I want to pay tribute today to a special Mississippi teacher. She is 
Mississippi Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Tina Fisher Scholtes, of Sudduth 
Elementary School in Starkville, Mississippi. Tina has been an 
elementary school teacher for sixteen years. She has spent the past 
fourteen years teaching first grade in Starkville.
  First grade lays the foundation for formal education. Every parent 
hopes their child will begin school with an excellent teacher. Tina 
Scholtes is without a doubt an excellent teacher. Being an excellent 
teacher requires hard work, along with respect for children and an 
understanding of the learning process. Tina has those attributes and 
more. She also cares about outcomes. She wants all her students to 
succeed.
  Beyond the Masters Degree she earned at Mississippi State University, 
Tina has completed professional development for teaching reading and 
mathematics; the special needs of teaching deaf students; National 
Board Certification; and training other teachers. Her resume is 
evidence of her capacity for gaining knowledge and sharing it with 
others. While continuing her first grade teaching, she has returned to 
Mississippi State University where as a clinical instructor she directs 
the activities of student teachers.
  Tina has brought new teaching techniques into the schools where she 
has taught. She serves as a mentor to new teachers and has developed 
school wide curriculum reforms. She also has used local television 
programs to provide early childhood education lessons to parents.
  Another indication that she is a dedicated teacher is her 
participation in the Parent Teacher Association where she served as 
President while teaching at Emerson Elementary School. Tina recognizes 
the importance of teachers participating in the community and is active 
in her church, and in other community activities.
  I was very pleased that Tina Scholtes took time to visit my office 
when she was in Washington recently for the National Teacher of the 
Year recognition events.
  I congratulate her on all her successes. The first graders in 
Starkville, Mississippi are lucky, indeed, to begin their lives as 
students with Tina Scholtes, and we are all grateful to her for being 
such a good example for other teachers to follow.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I yield up to 4 minutes to the 
distinguished chairman of the Labor-Education Committee, Senator 
Jeffords.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Senator Jeffords is recognized.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, it is a pleasure to participate in 
honoring our teachers in National Teacher Appreciation Week.
  I think we all remember those early years of our lives when we 
started school. I still remember the first day of first grade. I 
remember going to school in my father's hand and fearing what was going 
to happen to me. I remember Mrs. Anderson who greeted us all 
individually at the door and how immediately I warmed up to her. It was 
then I realized this really wasn't going to be as bad as I thought. I 
can even remember where my seat was that year.
  Ms. Maughn, in second grade, was another wonderful person. The 
teacher I remember more was Viola Burns, my third grade teacher. That 
was the beginning of World War II. She realized I needed a little 
further work so she had me read Time magazine and come back to her to 
talk about it. I also had her in the sixth grade. She was an incredible 
individual who helped shape my life.
  Then fourth grade was ``teacher unappreciation year''--I don't want 
to remember that. We rebelled. We ran through five teachers before we 
settled down. I wiped that from my memory. I feel sorry for those five 
teachers.
  I think everyone has memories and understands what an incredible help 
a teacher can be in our lives.
  My mother was a music and art teacher; my sister, a third grade 
teacher; my niece is a teacher; the man across the street was the 
principal of our high school.
  Those schools are gone. My former elementary school is now a private 
school, a Christian church school; middle school is the fire station; 
my high school is now the middle school.
  I still remember the teachers. It is not brick and mortar but the 
teachers that make a difference. Dindo Rivera goes around the country 
talking about the changes in education and how important it is. If an 
office worker had fallen asleep 20 years ago, woke up and walked 
through a modern office, they would be in incredible despair. They 
wouldn't know what to do. They wouldn't know how to answer the phone.
  But he goes on to say that if a teacher had the same experience of 
falling asleep and waking up now, that teacher would walk into the 
classroom and find that not much had changed. But the world has changed 
and our teachers cannot be made the scapegoats. We should not indicate 
that it is their problem. We, as a nation, have to recognize the 
teachers need help and we have to give it to them. That means we have 
to develop professional training. We have to be sure our colleges are 
producing teachers who are well qualified. At the same time, we have to 
recognize that our Nation will not prosper if we do not realize it is 
the teachers who make the difference. We are increasing standards and 
doing all these things to envelop them with modern technology which is 
difficult to understand, especially if you don't have more than 10

[[Page 8399]]

minutes in a day to even think about those things.
  I think it is incredibly important we all remember the teachers, 
especially this year, since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
is up for reauthorization. This is our moment, at a critical time in 
our history, when we must take a look at the problems and the demands 
and the difficulties that are presented to our teachers and devise the 
means to help them help us become the Nation we all want to be.
  Let's think about our teachers today, remember what they did for us, 
and think about what we can do for them.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the distinguished Senator 
from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I want to personally thank you for 
arranging for us to take this time out of our busy schedules to 
recognize teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.
  Providing the brightest future for our nation's children is one of 
the most important things we will do here on the floor of the Senate. 
After parents and families, America's teachers play the leading role in 
helping our children reach their potential. Therefore, it gives me 
great pleasure to join in tribute to our nation's outstanding educators 
and recognize a few of the top teachers in my home state of Idaho.
  We all know the impact of teachers. Five days a week, for 9 months of 
every year, nearly 3 million teachers in this country help mold our 
children's future. I believe in the quality education our teachers, 
administrators, and others provide in Idaho. That is why my children 
continue to reside in the great State of Idaho. My wife Susan and I 
made the decision nearly 7 years ago when I was first elected to 
Congress that she and our children would remain in Idaho. We wanted our 
children to continue to receive the quality education they now 
experience in Idaho's public school system.
  That quality education takes many faces. I want to show you one of 
them this morning. Judy Bieze lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and teaches 
first grade at Hayden Meadows Elementary in nearby Hayden Lake.
  Mrs. Bieze was honored this year by the State of Idaho as Teacher of 
the Year. But she is more than that; she is also a local softball coach 
and a Sunday school teacher, so I guess that makes her a teacher 7 days 
a week.
  During each school year Mrs. Bieze gives individual attention to her 
students by profiling each one as the ``Special and Unique'' person of 
the week. She also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom and 
to take an active role in their child's learning.
  It is the ability to give of herself that makes Mrs. Bieze special. 
Her superintendent says she ``exemplifies the initiative and dedication 
we seek in our educators.'' Mrs. Bieze characteristically deflects that 
praise and credits her students. She says she--in her words--is ``truly 
blessed'' as ``the recipient of their unrestrained love, curiosity and 
enthusiasm for six hours each day.'' If only we could be holding more 
speeches on the floor of this Senate that deal with issues like love, 
curiosity and enthusiasm. Mrs. Bieze, we salute you.
  I would be remiss in not mentioning some of Idaho's other outstanding 
teachers. Just last week, Idaho's PTA honored Jeff Durner, a fifth-
grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary in Boise. The PTA credits Mr. 
Durner for helping children ``become the best they can be.''
  The Idaho Education Association credits a sixth-grade teacher from my 
hometown of Idaho Falls as being worthy of special recognition. Zoe Ann 
Jorgenson has helped develop a special program in her district that 
groups children based on their needs, not on their age. She says many 
parents have chosen to keep their children in public schools, rather 
than move them to private classrooms, based on this innovative and 
unique program.
  Mrs. Jorgenson believes the system should be made to fit the 
children, not that children be forced to fit the system. She says that 
parents are looking for choices within the structure of the public 
school system, and she wants to offer them those choices.
  Finally, Idaho Parents Unlimited says a special education teacher 
formerly from Blackfoot, and now from Meridian, ID deserves credit for 
trail-blazing programs for students that are sometimes forgotten in our 
school systems.
  Barbara Jones earned the title of Special Education Consulting 
Teacher. One parent in Blackfoot described her as ``a true gift to my 
son as well as myself.'' Ms. Jones is now helping both fellow teachers 
and students learn how special needs can offer special rewards.
  We all have a stake in this process, because our children's success 
in education depends on the support they receive at home, and the 
future of our nation depends on the leaders we are raising today.
  Some define leadership as what we do with our opportunities. I am 
proud to praise these fine Idaho educators who have moved the bar 
higher--for our children.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize teachers across 
America for the vital work they do. I come from a family of educators, 
so I have seen firsthand the grueling work teachers go through every 
day--not for their own gain, but because they care about each and every 
one of our children. Teachers are not the highest paid people, they are 
not in the most glamorous profession--but they are, and should be, 
among the most respected people in our country. That is why it was so 
important that we declared this week as the 14th Annual Teacher 
Appreciation Week and that we recognized May 4, 1999, as National 
Teacher Day.
  Mr. President, the resolution that we passed yesterday states that 
education is key to the very foundation of American freedom and 
democracy we all enjoy, that teachers have a profound impact on the 
development of our children, and that much of the success we enjoy here 
in the United States can be attributed to our teachers. The resolution 
also states that while ``many people spend their lives building 
careers, teachers spend their careers building lives.''
  Mr. President, I want to take a couple of minutes to recognize a 
teacher from my home state of Idaho who has truly spent her career 
building lives. Judy Bieze teaches first grade in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 
Judy got her start with a bachelor's degree in elementary education 
from Illinois State University, began teaching elementary students in 
1971, and hasn't stopped since. For the past 14 years, she has blessed 
the children of Idaho.
  She is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of 
Mathematics, the International Reading Association, the Panhandle 
Reading Council, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum 
Development. She is a lead teacher in her school and has received 
numerous grants to do everything from providing books for parents and 
children to check out and read to underwriting a district-wide 
inservice training in spelling.
  Somewhere amongst all of this, Judy finds time to teach some of 
Idaho's children. In fact, Judy humbly reflects that her greatest 
accomplishments come in 6- and 7-year-old bodies.
  It is no wonder. Judy practices some techniques in her classes which 
some may call innovative, while others call them back to the basics. 
For instance, during the course of the year she takes time to recognize 
each child in her class as the ``Special and Unique'' person and works 
each day to recognize each child's accomplishments. Furthermore, she 
believes that parents must be actively involved in their child's 
education. From encouraging parents to be involved in classroom 
activities to weekly letters home to detail what their child has been 
doing in school, Judy recognizes that parents are first and foremost in 
a child's education.
  Judy has stated that each day she is ``rewarded by the large and 
small accomplishments of the children entrusted to my care.'' Last 
year, Judy's peers recognized these accomplishments and her commitment 
to the education of our children by choosing Judy Bieze as the Idaho 
State Teacher of the year for 1998-1999.

[[Page 8400]]

  Judy believes that each child is a unique, unrepeatable miracle. On 
behalf of the great state of Idaho, I am glad that Judy chose to come 
to Idaho and work her miracles with our children. I am proud of the 
work she does, and am pleased that I have the opportunity to recognize 
her accomplishments today. It is my hope that other teachers will see 
what she has done, see how she cares for our children, and strive to 
follow her lead. With teachers like Judy leading the pack, I have great 
confidence in the future of our country.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Crapo). The Chair recognizes the Senator 
from Tennessee.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business for 6 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. CONRAD. Reserving the right to object, and I will not object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the Senator from North 
Dakota.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent we get 4 
additional minutes on this side as well.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, it is expected the Senate will soon 
consider a resolution that highlights the week of May 2 to 8 as 
National Teacher Appreciation Week. We have had a wonderful 2 weeks in 
this Nation's Capital. Last week the President signed the Ed-Flex bill 
which returned much of the control--local accountability, local 
flexibility--to local schools and school districts. This week we honor 
our teachers.
  I rise today to honor the many outstanding teachers across the Nation 
and especially in my home State of Tennessee. In particular, I would 
like to highlight the achievements of Ms. Delise Teague, the 1999 
Tennessee Teacher of the Year, whom I had the honor to meet, as you can 
see in this photo, just several weeks ago. This is Delise in the 
picture.
  First, I would like to cite some of the research which paints a clear 
picture about the quality of a teacher being so critical to the future 
of our children and their education. Tennessee is one of the few States 
with data systems in place which make it possible to link teacher 
performance to student achievement. Researchers have the capability of 
examining the impact teachers have in terms of their effectiveness, how 
well they are teaching, and what students actually learn. Data from 
these studies show the least effective teachers produce gains of 
approximately 14 percentile points for low-achieving students. However, 
the most effective teachers produce gains that average 53 percentile 
points.
  The data also reveal that these effects are cumulative over time. In 
fact, students with three quality teachers in a row, scored over twice 
as high on math tests as those students with teachers who are less 
qualified. Thus, we have anecdotal evidence and scientific evidence 
that a quality teacher has a tremendous impact on students.
  One such outstanding teacher is Delise Teague, shown here in this 
portrait, who teaches English at McNairy Central High School in Selmer, 
TN. She knows firsthand the impact a quality teacher can have on a 
student. Using her words, she notes, ``I cannot take personal credit 
for my success as a classroom teacher. Great teachers shared the light 
with me. I am simply passing it on.''
  She adds it was her first Sunday School teacher whose influence 
``served to fan the flame of learning that had been sparked at home by 
loving parents and an abundance of books.'' She will further tell you 
that she had several teachers in the public school system who played a 
key role in her own education and in her decision to pursue a career in 
teaching. The teachers who motivated Delise in her education were the 
ones who saw her untapped potential and challenged her. This is a 
lesson that Delise applies in her own classroom. She challenges her 
students and believes in their potential to succeed.
  In fact, Courtney Carroll, a student at McNairy Central High School, 
wrote, ``Miss Teague is loved and respected by her students because she 
truly wants each person who enters her classroom to be successful.''
  Delise coaches the varsity softball team and freshman basketball 
team. She has served on the Technology Literacy Grant Committee, the 
National Honor Society Selection Committee, and as a student teacher 
supervisor/mentor. She is active in her community and takes on projects 
such as distributing fruit baskets for the elderly and providing gifts 
through the project Angel Tree for underprivileged children and 
contributing to Saint Jude's Children's Hospital through fundraising 
efforts.
  She is just one wonderful example of the many dedicated teachers in 
our Nation's schools. In my own past I think of June Bowen, who taught 
me seventh grade English, and Mary Helen Lowry, who passed away this 
year, who taught me English through high school. I am so pleased to be 
able to participate in this effort to honor our Nation's teachers by 
promoting National Teacher Appreciation Week.
  As parents and community members, we should all take a few minutes to 
celebrate this great cause for our children's future. I yield the 
floor.
  Mr. COVERDELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I thank all my colleagues honoring 
National Teacher Day and Teacher Appreciation Week. I appreciate very 
much the work Senator Frist has done on behalf of reform in education.
  Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues today to recognize 
May 2-8, 1999, as the 14th Annual Teacher Appreciation Week, and to 
commend thousands of dedicated teachers across the nation for their 
determined efforts to shape the intellect of our children.
  The foundation of American freedom and democracy is a strong, 
effective system of education where every child has the opportunity to 
learn in a safe and nurturing environment.
  America's first rate education system depends on a partnership 
between parents, principals, teachers and children. The success of our 
nation for much of the 20th century--is the result of the hard work and 
dedication of teachers across the land.
  While many people spend their lives building careers, teachers spend 
their careers building lives. Our nation's teachers serve our children 
beyond the call of duty as coaches, mentors, and advisors without 
regard to fame or fortune. Across the land nearly 3 million men and 
women experience the joys of teaching young minds the virtues of 
reading, writing and arithmetic.
  As part of the 14th Annual Teacher Appreciation Week, I'd like to pay 
special tribute to Andrew Baumgartner of Augusta, Georgia--who was 
recently named the 1999 National Teacher of the Year.
  Mr. Baumgartner, who teaches kindergarten at A. Brian Merry 
Elementary School in Augusta, has been a teacher for 23 years. His 
motivation and source of inspiration comes in part from the belief that 
it was his duty to give something back to society, and he has done so 
through his teaching.
  To achieve his goal of getting kids to learn, Mr. Baumgartner creates 
a sense of adventure in his classroom. He has used his creativity and 
imagination to bring the magic of reading and learning to the minds of 
his kids.
  The award, sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers 
and Scholastic, Inc., will send Mr. Baumgartner on a promotional tour 
as 1999 National Teacher of the Year, where he will share his 
innovative ideas with other teachers around the nation. I wish Mr. 
Baumgartner the best of luck during this tour and am confident that he 
will inspire other teachers with his creativity and willingness to do 
whatever it takes to get kids to learn.
  In closing Mr. President, I call on all my colleagues--on both sides 
of the aisle--to take a moment this week to give a special thanks to 
the nearly 3 million important American men and women--like Andy--who 
have contributed to the emotional and intellectual development of 
children across the land.

[[Page 8401]]


  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise in recognition of Teacher 
Appreciation Week. During this week we have a special opportunity to 
thank the dedicated professionals who open our children's eyes to the 
world of discovery and learning, the world that will open the door to a 
brighter future for them and for all of Michigan.
  Five days a week, for nine months out of every year, America's 2.7 
million teachers help to mold our children's future, the future of 
Michigan, and the future of America. Across Michigan and across the 
United States, tomorrow's business leaders, inventors, doctors, and 
even teachers are building the foundation of learning and experience 
that will shape their lives and careers.
  This week, Mr. President, Michiganites like all Americans are taking 
time to pay tribute to our teachers, some of the most important people 
in our children's lives. After parents and families, teachers pay the 
most important role in helping our children reach their potential. No 
teacher can take the place of loving and attentive families, but the 
school experience plays a crucial role in shaping our children's 
character.
  After the tragic events in Colorado, I hope all of us will take the 
time to think about the difficult job our teachers have, in these 
troubled times, giving children the structure and habits as well as the 
knowledge they need to become good citizens and productive adults.
  I have always supported calls for better computer technology in our 
classrooms. And it is true that our children need to learn to use tools 
that will expand their access to information. But a qualified, highly 
trained teacher remains the most important education tool in any 
classroom. Today's technological innovations can help teachers capture 
our children's attention and bring the world to their eyes and 
fingertips. But no machine can take the place of a dedicated teacher 
who genuinely cares about a child's future. With the rapid advance of 
education technology, we must ensure that our teachers are trained in 
the most effective educational use of this technology, and that none of 
us are distracted from the basics of a good education by glittering 
machines.
  Unfortunately, Mr. President, there are disturbing statistics about 
how well our teachers are prepared to enter the classroom. More than 25 
percent of new teachers nationwide enter school without adequate 
teaching skills or without training in their subject according to the 
National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. One in seven 
teachers has not fully met State standards.
  We must do more to ensure that our teachers are fully prepared to 
meet the increasing challenges of their profession. We must take 
advantage of every opportunity to provide today's teachers with access 
to proven training programs while simultaneously recruiting and 
training qualified and dedicated young people to become tomorrow's 
great educators.
  Most importantly, Mr. President, we must applaud and show our 
appreciation to the teachers who go that extra mile for our kids, 
capturing their attention, helping them gain the knowledge and skills 
they need, and providing examples of dedication and skill that should 
inspire us all.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to salute one of our 
nation's most precious resources, our teachers and in particular New 
Mexico's teacher of the year, Stan Johnston of Los Alamos High School.
  I would submit, teachers are the key to America's future. Christa 
McAuliffe, the teacher and astronaut put it in perfect perspective. She 
said, ``I touch the future, I teach.''
  Building upon her statement I would say: it is a simple fact that the 
future is prejudiced in favor of those who can read, write, and do 
math. A good education is a ticket to the secure economic future of the 
middle class. As the earning gap between brains and brawn grows ever 
larger almost no one doubts the link between education and an 
individual's prospects.
  And today the Senate is acknowledging those on the front lines with 
our students, the unsung heroes, their teachers. Somewhere in this 
great country of ours a teacher has a future leader of the United 
States in his classroom. Who knows; it could be one of the students in 
Stan Johnston's English and Study Skills class at Los Alamos High 
School in New Mexico.
  My point is simple, after parents and families, teachers play an 
important role in helping our children reach their potential. After our 
children leave home each morning, it becomes the responsibility of 
America's almost 3 million teachers to ensure our children are prepared 
for the future because in our nation's classrooms resides the future.
  Hopefully, the future doctors who will find the cure for cancer, 
mental illness, and heart disease are right now in our classrooms. But, 
most importantly we have the next generation of our country now 
attending classes throughout our schools.
  In conclusion, I would like to thank you and a job well done to all 
of our teachers and in particular, Stan Johnston of Los Alamos High 
School. Again, thank you and please continue the superb work you are 
doing on behalf of our country.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, of all the occupations in America, teachers 
may deserve their own ``appreciation day'' the most. And, perhaps no 
occupation influences the future of our country more. I am delighted to 
join my colleagues today in paying tribute to those teachers all over 
America who have made a real difference.
  One special teacher who made a real difference in my life was Mr. 
McElroy.
  When I was a young boy, I played my violin in the school orchestra. 
On the day of one of our most important performances, the student who 
was supposed to play a solo on the bass got sick and was unable to 
perform. My music director, Mr. McElroy came to me and convinced me 
that, even though I had never played the bass, I could perform the 
solo.
  I had terrible doubts about my ability to step in and do the job. But 
Mr. McElroy had confidence in me, even if I didn't. And he worked with 
me and encouraged me and coached me for most of that afternoon. That 
night I was able to play the solo without making a mistake.
  As I think back on it, this was one experience that taught me that if 
I applied myself I could meet a challenge. When, in 1976, everyone 
believed I was a long-shot to win the nomination and, indeed, the 
election to become Utah's senator, I should have told them about Mr. 
McElroy.
  I know that right now, in a classroom in Utah--maybe in the room of 
Diane Crim, who teaches math at Salt Lake's Clayton Intermediate School 
and is Utah's 1998 Teacher of the Year--another young student is 
learning these important lessons thanks to a dedicated and caring 
teacher.
  Teaching is not just a job, it's a calling. It is a calling to impart 
knowledge, to mete out discipline, to inspire, to motivate.
  Last week, our entire nation mourned the loss of a devoted teacher, 
Dave Sanders. The testimony of his students to his caring, whether in 
the classroom or on the basketball court, is a tribute better than any 
we here in the Senate could pay. I hope that the students he taught at 
Columbine High School will go on to practice the lessons he taught and 
be the kind of citizens in the community that he hoped they would be.
  Mr. President, Mr. McElroy, Diane Crim, and Dave Sanders all 
represent the best of the teaching profession. There are thousands of 
others we could mention here today who have helped our children learn 
the keys for living such as reading, math, science, and history. But, 
more than that, they have helped reinforce essential values like hard 
work, perseverance, team work, and integrity. I am pleased to join in 
honoring these teachers today.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I also want to comment on the National 
Teacher Appreciation Week, because I think all of us can look back in 
our own backgrounds and remember what a difference teachers made in our 
lives.
  I can remember very well the teachers who made a contribution to my 
life,

[[Page 8402]]

to my growing up: Mrs. Goplin, who taught American history and who 
really shared a great love for understanding the Constitution of the 
United States, always told us that this is one of the greatest 
documents in human history. I will never forget those words of Mrs. 
Goplin.
  She was exactly right. Our Constitution is one of the greatest 
documents in human history, and how lucky we are to live in a country 
that has constitutional guarantees of freedom for the American people 
and says to each and every American, you have certain rights, rights 
that protect you from the overreach of government, because our 
forefathers had known in Europe that government can become oppressive 
and that government can make demands on its citizenry that are not 
fair, that are not reasonable. We are so lucky to have these 
protections.
  I remember other teachers: My third grade teacher, Mrs. Offerdahl, 
who is still alive in a nursing home in North Dakota, what a great 
woman. She came every morning to that class with a sparkle in her eye 
and a love for learning and a love for teaching. She made a difference 
not only in my life but in the lives of hundreds and hundreds of 
students whom she taught over a very long career in the Bismarck, ND, 
school system--Mrs. Offerdahl.
  And Mrs. Senzek, who was my fifth grade teacher, a highly intelligent 
woman, somebody who was absolutely committed to improving the 
educational standards of the kids in Bismarck, ND. My sixth grade 
teacher, Miss Barbie, who was a very sophisticated woman, somebody who 
loved reading and imparted that love to students.
  I think back to how fortunate we were to have people of that quality 
and that caring who provided education to us and at great sacrifice to 
themselves. I can say every one of these women whom I have mentioned 
could have made much more money doing something else, but they were 
dedicated to teaching young people, and they made enormous financial 
sacrifices to do it.
  There are so many other teachers along the way whom I remember. Mrs. 
Hook was my second grade teacher. She was a woman of real majesty, 
really almost a regal person, very tall, very erect, very dignified, 
somebody who commanded respect.
  These are people who made an impression that has lasted a lifetime, 
lasted a lifetime for me, but I know lasted a lifetime for other 
students in the Bismarck public school system as well.
  Mr. President, I add our words of praise to all the teachers across 
this country who make a difference in the lives of kids. Other than 
family members, other than parents, perhaps there is no more important 
relationship than what teachers do in terms of training our kids. So, 
today, we say thank you, thank you for everything you have done. You 
have made a difference.

                          ____________________