PROCLAIMING MAY 4 AS NEW MEXICO TEACHER DAY IN HONOR OF NATIONAL TEACHER DAY.

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson said that "Above all things, I hope the education of the common people will be attended to; convinced that on their good sense we may rely with most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty."; and

WHEREAS, John F. Kennedy said that "The course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education. In a democracy such as ours, we must make sure that education wins the race."; and

WHEREAS, teachers keep American democracy alive by laying the foundation for good citizenship; and

WHEREAS, in 1953, the eighty-first congress established Tuesday of the first full week in May, which this year falls on May 4, as national teacher day; and

WHEREAS, Mattye Whyte Woodridge, an Arkansas teacher, initiated the idea of national teacher day by writing Eleanor Roosevelt in 1944 and suggesting a need to honor teachers with a national day of recognition; and

WHEREAS, May 2 through May 8, 1999 is teacher appreciation week; and

WHEREAS, teachers play critical roles in all our lives, preparing us for careers, citizenship and family roles, and we are influenced throughout our lives by the leadership, knowledge and motivation they provide; and

WHEREAS, the quality of teaching influences the future; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico is blessed by some of the best teachers in the country, ranking sixth in the percentage of teachers certified by the national board for professional teaching standards; and

WHEREAS, Elaine Griffin, 1995 national teacher of the year, said, "Public education is the link between our nation and our dream of liberty and justice for all.";

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that May 4, 1999 be proclaimed New Mexico teacher day and that all New Mexicans be requested to give appreciation and recognition to teachers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the state board of education and the governor.