U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown...
Thanking Ohio’s Teachers  
May 16, 2012 

This week – Teacher Appreciation Week – we salute teachers from across the nation for their commitment to instructing, mentoring, and empowering our youth. To honor our nation’s teachers, Senator Brown is proud to cosponsor a Congressional Resolution recognizing May 13-19 as National Teacher Appreciation Week. Today, Sen. Brown joined teachers throughout the state at the Ohio Education Association’s Spring Representative Assembly in Columbus. 

Our ability to create jobs – and rebuild our middle class – depends on our capacity to educate our students and workers and set them on a path of success in college or a career. And that path starts in the classroom. This means providing our students, teachers, and administrators with the support they need inside and outside of the classroom. It means ensuring high quality early childhood education is available to all students, and that there is a strong pipeline from cradle through college and career. And we can do this by updating No Child Left Behind, improving our nation’s school facilities, and investing in key education programs – including Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Too often we fail to recognize the tremendous impact that teachers have on the lives of our youth, and the role they play in shaping our nation’s future. These hard working individuals instill confidence, teach responsibility, and inspire young Ohioans to achieve their dreams. Their work often begins long before the first bell rings and ends long after all the children go home. Teachers provide our children with a safe and healthy learning environment. They are often the first to assist a child who may be facing social or emotional challenges. It is evident that their work serves to strengthen and enrich not only students, but our entire state.