Sánchez Honors Local Teachers
"There are so many teachers in my district who work hard to open students' minds to ideas, knowledge, and dreams," said Rep. Linda Sánchez. "I encourage everyone to take a moment to let a special teacher know how much they touched your life."
Sánchez recognized:
· Julie Wright, who teaches first grade at Gardenhill Elementary School in La Mirada. Ms. Wright was recently nominated "Teacher of Year."
· Pattie Blasnick is a Special Day Class Teacher at Ada S. Nelson Elementary School and was recently selected as the Los Nietos Teacher of the Year for 2009-2010.
· Juvenal Martinez is a 6th grade teacher at Aeolian School who was recently honored for outstanding service to education and agriculture.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to honor teachers and recognize the lasting contributions they make to our lives. The theme for National Teacher Day is "Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools." Teacher Appreciation Week is sponsored by the National PTA and is a time to strengthen support and respect for teachers.
Congresswoman Sánchez has recognized the critical role that K-12 education plays in creating a strong new foundation for the American economy. In Congress, she has helped to enact two key bills with critical investments in K-12 education: the Recovery Act and the FY 2010 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. In addition, in December, the House passed the Jobs for Main Street Act, which includes a critical $23 billion Education Jobs Fund that would prevent the layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers in the coming school year if the Senate passes it and it is signed into law.
In addition, Reps. Linda Sánchez and Ed Towns (NY-10) have introduced the Increased Student Achievement Through Increased Student Support Act, which will help train more school counselors, social workers, and psychologists to work in hard-to-staff schools to provide students and teachers the support they need so that teachers can concentrate on teaching.
For a fact sheet, "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Investing in Education for the 21st Century," click here.