Darlene Hooley: “in honor of National Teachers Appreciation Week, I rise to pay tribute to our teachers. I would like to recognize Mike…”

“in honor of National Teachers Appreciation Week, I rise to pay tribute to our teachers. I would like to recognize Mike Weddle, a teacher from Waldo Middle School in Salem, Oregon, who was recently awarded one of the three Milken awards for his exceptional work as a teacher in Oregon. Mr. Weddle was chosen to receive this award because of his constant efforts to go above and beyond the required duties providing the best possible education for the children of Oregon. Mike Weddle is just one example of the thousands upon thousands of teachers out there determined to make a difference in a student's life. In cities and towns across my district, teachers arrive to greet their overcrowded classes of 25, 30 and sometimes 35 students. Many teach in less than ideal environments, in schools that many of us would not work in. But they come back, day after day, dedicated to teaching our children. There are few things that are more important to the people in my district than the education of our children. However, we often take our teachers for granted and forget to say thank you for all the tireless work that they do. I am here today to say thank you. Thank you for working to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn and to achieve his or her fullest potential. Let us really say thank you to our teachers by passing the school construction bill.”