Pete Domenici: “I rise today to salute one of our nation's most precious resources, our teachers and in particular New Mexico's teacher…”

“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.”