Porter Goss: “this Congress is in the midst of a serious debate about education reform, and much is being said about where our schools…”

“this Congress is in the midst of a serious debate about education reform, and much is being said about where our schools are lacking. But as we focus on giving our communities, school boards, parents and teachers the tools to improve the education of our children, we must be careful not to focus solely on the bad news and overlook the success stories. Even the best-intentioned and most far-reaching education reform would serve no real purpose if it were not for the people involved in making learning a reality. Today I rise to salute the teachers, thousands of caring and giving individuals who face up to the tremendous challenges and distractions and go on opening the doors of knowledge for children every day. Specifically, I would like to applaud two award-winning teachers from my district. Georgia Brown is a science teacher at J. Colin English Elementary School in North Fort Myers and Janet McGregor is a math teacher at Deep Creek Elementary School in Port Charlotte. They visited me in Washington while attending a program for the 1993 presidential awards for excellence in science and mathematics teaching. These national awards confer much-deserved recognition and appreciation on some of this Nation's most outstanding teachers. Ms. Brown and Ms. McGregor bring innovation, caring, and boundless enthusiasm into their classrooms, where they serve as important role models to their children. They also stand as shining stars of example in our communities.”