James Norton: “I come to the House for a joyful moment. On the front page of the Washington Post today is a very large picture of…”

“I come to the House for a joyful moment. On the front page of the Washington Post today is a very large picture of children of the District of Columbia and one of their teachers, who was entertained yesterday by President Bush at the White House to celebrate the fact that he has been named Teacher of the Year, the oldest and most prestigious award for teachers in our country. This is a young man who teaches at Sousa Junior High School in Washington, D.C. Jason Kamras is his name. He is a math teacher who graduated from Princeton University. What does he think to do with his life? Come to the District of Columbia to teach disadvantaged children in our elementary and middle schools. He began teaching in 1996. He took 2 years out because he thought he ought to go and get an education degree, and he went and got a master's degree in education, but came right back to the District of Columbia to teach math at Sousa. Typical of the way this young man approached his job is the student he first met when he was in middle school at Sousa. His name was Wendell Jefferson. He said, Wendell, you keep trying; you will do well. Wendell Jefferson went on to high school. When he got to high school, no longer under the care of Mr. Kamras, Mr. Kamras tutored him in math. Wendell Jefferson is now studying electrical engineering at Morehouse College. This story is perhaps emblematic of the way this young man approaches teaching.…”