[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 8807]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         MILKEN EDUCATOR AWARD

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize three 
outstanding teachers from my home State of Louisiana who will be 
honored by the Milken Family Foundation with the Milken Educator Award 
at their National Educator Conference here in Washington. The Milken 
Family Foundation was established in 1982 with the mission to discover 
and advance inventive and effective ways of helping people to help 
themselves and those around them lead productive and satisfying lives. 
On May 4-6 they will be holding their National Educator Conference in 
Washington, DC.
  With a major focus on education, the Milken Family Foundation is 
committed to recognizing and rewarding the Nation's most outstanding 
educators and helping them to expand their leadership and potential. 
This year, the Milken Family Foundation has recognized Amanda Mayeaux, 
a math teacher at Dutchtown Middle School, Phyllis Diecidue, a reading 
teacher at St. Bernard High School, and Josh Michael Burton, a biology 
teacher at Albany High School, all from the State of Louisiana. They 
are among one hundred teachers who were selected from across the 
country to receive this very prestigious $25,000 award.
  When I think back to my education, I remember many inspiring teachers 
who helped make me who I am today. Without highly qualified teachers 
who are dedicated to the success of every student, my colleagues and 
myself would most certainly not be where we are today. Today, research 
is confirming what common sense has suggested all along. A skilled and 
knowledgeable teacher can make an enormous difference on how well 
students learn. As we look towards the future of our country and the 
sustainability of our democracy, we must look to our children, the 
future leaders. The future of our workforce and our country depends on 
our ability to recruit and retain qualified teachers in our classrooms, 
who will help our children become active and responsible citizens. 
Often times teachers are not recognized for the challenges and 
struggles which they encounter each and every day and tremendous 
significance of their work. We must remember that it is our Nation's 
teachers who are in the trenches each and every day ensuring that our 
children gain the knowledge and skills that they will need to be 
successful.
  As we in Congress continue to focus on education reform and ensuring 
that all children have access to the same quality education, it is 
important that we also take a moment to recognize the teachers who work 
hard every day to ensure that our children are succeeding. It is 
because of the hard work and dedication of these teachers that our 
children can set their sights towards a bright future. I know that my 
colleagues here in the Senate join me today in congratulating these 
exceptional educators and the other ninety-seven teachers from around 
the country who were recognized with this high honor.

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