2000CRH2726 SENSE OF THE HOUSE IN SUPPORT OF AMERICA'S TEACHERS, Part 2/2
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America's teachers know that the American people and the Congress
respect their work. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by raising
teacher take-home pay, the Teacher Tax Cut Act encourages high-quality
people to enter, and remain in, the teaching profession.
Mr. Speaker, these two bills send a strong signal to America's
teachers that we in Congress are determined to encourage good people to
enter and remain in the teaching profession and that we want teachers
to be treated as professionals, not as Education Department
functionaries. In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to vote for this
resolution recognizing the hard work of America's teachers. I also urge
they continue to stand up for those who have dedicated their lives to
educating America's children by cosponsoring my legislation to prohibit
the use of federal funds for national teacher testing and to give
America's teachers a $1,000 tax credit.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to
speak in support of House Resolution 492. I would also like to take
this opportunity to thank Representative Kay Granger of the 12th
District of Texas for introducing this resolution which pays tribute to
all teachers in the United States and aptly commemorates National
Teachers Day, which we are celebrating today.
My family comes from a long line of teachers, my mother is a former
teacher, I am a former teacher and academic vice president and my
daughter is a teacher in my district in Guam. As a former educator, I
well appreciate the challenges all teachers face. It is often said that
teaching is a thankless job. Although, it is the case with most
teachers to be overworked by the growing volume of students in
classrooms and overwhelmed by the constant shortage of teachers
entering the ranks of the teaching profession from year to year, the
impacts they make in shaping our lives and our futures is enormous and
immeasurable. I would like to take this time to commemorate the
remarkable commitment and contributions teachers make to our lives and
highlight the contributions of Guam's Teacher of the Year for 2000, Mr.
Josh Ledbetter.
Mr. Ledbetter has come to teaching at a later period in his life than
most rookies. Now at the young age of 49 and after many years serving
our country in the U.S. Navy, followed by a brief career as a
journalist, Mr. Ledbetter found teaching to be his calling. Mr.
Ledbetter received his teaching degree from the University of Guam in
1993. Since then he has taught for nearly six years as a first grade
teacher at the Maria Ulloa Elementary, the Harry S. Truman Elementary
and before transferring to the brand new Machananao Elementary School
in Guam.
Mr. Ledbetter is a testament to what it means to go the extra mile in
the classroom. He brings constant innovation to teaching and emphasizes
the need to bring relevance to his teaching. As a project, Mr.
Ledbetter asked his students to bring in unneeded items from their
homes. Students brought in an array of unneeded items including bottle
caps buttons, plastic bread fasteners. Mr. Ledbetter incorporated these
household materials to teach students concepts in mathematics through
grouping the materials the students were so familiar with; first with a
base of four, five, six, and then using a base of ten. The students
became so comfortable with the idea of grouping that they had mastered
the concepts before the time they reached the use of base ten.
Mr. Ledbetter has broadened his commitment to education through his
participation in various organizations, including the International
Reading Association, the University of Guam Language Arts Conference
and Symposium, the National Council of Teachers of English and numerous
other projects to the pursuit of education.
Mr. Ledbetter is currently pursuing his masters and doctorate degrees
at the University of Guam and plans yet another career change, this
time as a professor at the University of Guam's College of Education,
teaching cadres of young adults about the importance of teaching. I
wish him much success.
It gives me much pleasure to recognize and highlight the
contributions that teachers like Josh Ledbetter make to our community.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all teachers for their constant
contributions to instill and shape the lives of our children and our
communities.
Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, today, National Teacher's Day, we honor our
nation's teachers and recognize the lasting contribution they make in
our children's lives. Teachers are fundamental to the future successes
of our children. They inspire our children to learn and instill them
with the tools they need to be successful in their careers and in their
lives.
People who enter the teaching profession don't do it for the money--
they do it out of love. That love is reflected in the countless hours
they spend outside the classroom, preparing lesson plans, being
involved in extra curricular activities, and even buying supplies with
their own money. Mr. Speaker, the average teacher spends $408 of his or
her money each year to meet the needs of their students.
Let me tell you about the teachers we have in my district. They
certainly don't teach for the money--in fact many salaries barely pay
rent--but they are the most dedicated workforce I know.
I invited the Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, to my district
to witness first hand the problems the schools in my district face with
overcrowding. He visited on April 27, 2000, along with the new
chancellor of the New York City Board of Education and we had a very
informative and productive tour and meeting.
When deciding which school to highlight for Secretary Riley, I
selected PS 19, which operates at 157% capacity, and is one of the
most, if not the most, overcrowded elementary school in the City of New
York.
I contacted the Principal at PS 19, Catherine Zarbis, who agreed to
open up her school during their spring break, to show the Secretary and
the Chancellor their overcrowded conditions and numerous portable
classrooms.
When we visited the school the day before, we found many teachers
there--on their spring break--cleaning their classrooms, making new
room and hall decorations, and preparing lesson plans. These teacher
came in, on their own free time, to clean the building and prepare for
the Secretary's visit. In fact, everyone from the teachers to custodial
staff to the security personnel pitched in for this event. I want to
personally recognize everyone for their hard work: Principal Catherine
Zarbis, Assistant Principal Roseann Napolitano, Assistant Principal
Dina Erstejn; Mr. Miria Villegas, Mrs. Janina Juszczak; and Mrs.
Kathleen Ktistakis, who is affectionately called Mrs. K by her
students. The custodial staff: Mr. Thomas Zerella, the Custodial
Engineer; Ms. Renee Rhein; Mr. William Bischoff; Mr. Fernando Seara;
Mr. Louis Bischoff; Mr. Leonard Rooney; Mr. David Fasano; Mr. Wilmer
Romero; Mr. Omar Yahia. And the parent volunteers: Mrs. Zoraya Torres;
Mrs. Ana Hernandez; and Mrs. Julliana Bonetti. These educators truly
represent what teachers really stand for and should serve as role
models to us here in Congress as well as our children.
I urge my colleagues to put aside partisanship and help these
teachers--reduce their class size average of 36, give them full
classrooms, instead of converted closets, bathrooms, hallways, and
attics. We need to pass substantial school construction legislaiton as
well as class size reduction, implement after school programs, safe and
drug free schools, and provide access to technology. Our teachers and
our children deserve it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 492.
The question was taken.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair
will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for electronic voting on four
additional motions to suspend the rules on which the Chair has
postponed further proceedings. Such votes will be taken immediately
following this vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 422,
nays 0, not voting 12, as follows:
[Roll No. 149]
YEAS--422
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Allen
Andrews
Archer
Armey
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baker
Baldacci
Baldwin
Ballenger
Barcia
Barr
Barrett (NE)
Barrett (WI)
Bartlett
Barton
Bass
Bateman
Becerra
Bentsen
Bereuter
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop
Blagojevich
Bliley
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonior
Bono
Borski
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brown (FL)
Brown (OH)
Bryant
Burr
Burton
Callahan
Calvert
Camp
Canady
Cannon
Capps
Capuano
Cardin
Carson
Castle
Chabot
Chambliss
Chenoweth-Hage
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coble
Coburn
Collins
Combest
Condit
Conyers
Cook
Cooksey
Costello
Cox
Coyne
Cramer
Crane
Crowley
Cummings
Cunningham
Danner
Davis (FL)
Davis (IL)
Davis (VA)
Deal
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
DeLay
DeMint
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart
Dickey
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Doggett
Dooley
Doolittle
Doyle
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Edwards
Ehlers
Ehrlich
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Etheridge
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Evans
Everett
Ewing
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Fletcher
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Fossella
Fowler
Frank (MA)
Franks (NJ)
Frelinghuysen
Frost
Gallegly
Ganske
Gejdenson
Gekas
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gilman
Gonzalez
Goode
Goodlatte
Goodling
Gordon
Goss
Graham
Granger
Green (TX)
Green (WI)
Greenwood
Gutierrez
Gutknecht
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hansen
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Hefley
Herger
Hill (IN)
Hill (MT)
Hilleary
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoeffel
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Hooley
Horn
Hostettler
Houghton
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hyde
Inslee
Isakson
Istook
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jenkins
John
Johnson (CT)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kasich
Kelly
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind (WI)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kleczka
Klink
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kucinich
LaFalce
LaHood
Lampson
Lantos
Largent
Larson
Latham
LaTourette
Lazio
Leach
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren
Lowey
Lucas (KY)
Luther
Maloney (CT)
Maloney (NY)
Manzullo
Markey
Martinez
Mascara
Matsui
McCarthy (MO)
McCarthy (NY)
McCrery
McDermott
McGovern
McHugh
McInnis
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinney
McNulty
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Menendez
Metcalf
Mica
Millender-McDonald
Miller (FL)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Minge
Mink
Mollohan
Moore
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Morella
Murtha
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Nethercutt
Ney
Northup
Norwood
Nussle
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Ose
Owens
Oxley
Packard
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Paul
Pease
Pelosi
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Phelps
Pickering
Pickett
Pitts
Pombo
Pomeroy
Porter
Portman
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Quinn
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Reyes
Reynolds
Riley
Rivers
Rodriguez
Roemer
Rogan
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Rothman
Roukema
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Rush
Ryan (WI)
Ryun (KS)
Sabo
Salmon
Sanchez
Sanders
Sandlin
Sanford
Sawyer
Saxton
Scarborough
Schaffer
Schakowsky
Scott
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Shadegg
Shaw
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shimkus
Shows
Shuster
Simpson
Sisisky
Skeen
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Souder
Spence
Spratt
Stabenow
Stark
Stearns
Stenholm
Strickland
Stump
Stupak
Sununu
Sweeney
Talent
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Thune
Thurman
Tiahrt
Tierney
Toomey
Towns
Traficant
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Velazquez
Vento
Visclosky
Vitter
Walden
Walsh
Wamp
Waters
Watkins
Watt (NC)
Watts (OK)
Waxman
Weiner
Weldon (FL)
Weldon (PA)
Weller
Wexler
Weygand
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Wynn
Young (AK)
NOT VOTING--12
Buyer
Campbell
Cubin
Gephardt
Kuykendall
Lucas (OK)
McCollum
McIntosh
Moakley
Payne
Wise
Young (FL)
{time} 1638
So (two-thirds of those present having voted in favor thereof) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________