National Teacher Appreciation

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of our teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Across the country, we trust teachers with our most valuable resource…our children. Our teachers serve as role models and mentors to our kids…helping them to reach their full potential. And in New Jersey, we have among the most talented teachers in the country.

It was because of the mentorship of my teachers in high school that I applied for college, and eventually became a teacher myself. And it is because of my experiences in the classroom that I understand the challenges our educators face.

While we ask teachers to prepare our children to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, we must also give them the tools to rise to these challenges. Competitive salaries and financial resources must be provided so that we can recruit the very best teachers in science, technology, engineering math, as well as the arts.  

While we honor teachers this week, let’s not forget the service they do for our children every day. Let us join together in recognizing our teachers across the country.