Wes Watkins: “I rise today to commend First Lady Laura Bush and our Nation's teachers who are helping our children develop their…”

“I rise today to commend First Lady Laura Bush and our Nation's teachers who are helping our children develop their reading skills. Reading is a path to successful life. I have personal knowledge of the role of special teachers and am very thankful for my good friend Dr. Ann Dugger at Will Rogers Elementary School in Stillwater, who spent many hours with our grandson Bradley learning to read. My nephew, Josh Rogers, is a student in Mrs. Trish Fellers' third grade class at Derby Hills Elementary School in Derby, Kansas. The class read Jeff Brown's book ``Flat Stanley,'' in which Stanley is flattened by a bulletin board and mails himself to visit friends in California. My nephew, Josh, mailed ``Flat Josh'' to my wife and me to stay for a month. ``Flat Josh'' came to Washington, D.C. to visit his own Congressman, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt), so ``Flat Josh'' is with us today. I am grateful for First Lady Laura Bush, Dr. Ann Dugger, and Mrs. Trish Fellers and many other teachers like them, and I encourage all of us to read to our children and our grandchildren.”