[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our teachers during 
National Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers do not merely just teach 
in the classroom, they listen to their students and gently push them to 
reach their full potential. Teachers serve as role models and mentors.
  Because of the mentorship of my teachers in high school, I applied 
for college. I was fortunate to be given a scholarship and an 
opportunity that I would not have known about if it were not for my 
teachers. Upon graduating, I decided to give back to my community and 
became a teacher.
  New Jersey has among the most talented teachers in the country, and 
our students are lucky to learn from them. While we are honoring them 
this week, we should be thankful for their service every day. We trust 
teachers with our most valuable resources--our children.
  While we ask teachers to prepare our children to meet the challenges 
of the 21st century, we must give them the tools to rise to these 
challenges. Competitive salaries and financial resources must be 
provided.
  Let's join together in recognizing our teachers in New Jersey and 
across the country. Take the time to thank your teacher for their 
leadership and inspiration.

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