Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young."

I could not agree more. Each year, during the first week of May, we celebrate National Teacher’s Week across the country. Have you thought recently to thank your teachers? They do so much for our children and for our communities, and rarely do they get the praise and thanks they deserve.  

I continue to learn in my roles as Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and Vice Chairman of the Transportation Committee. I learn from scientists, policy experts, my colleagues on Capitol Hill, and most importantly, from you, so that I can make the most informed decision each time I cast a vote for you. And I can truly say, teachers, in and out of the classroom, are worthy of the thanks of all their students.

Congress established National Teacher Day more than twenty years ago to commemorate and honor local educators and acknowledge the contributions they make to families and communities across the country.  The theme of National Teacher Day, “Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools," draws attention to the crucial role teachers play in making sure every child receives a quality public education and conveys the hard work they do each day to make public schools great for every child.

Few professionals have the impact that teachers have. They bring learning to life, and they have the important job of nurturing the young minds of West Virginia and the ability to shape not only our children’s future, but the future of our state.  Rather than an occasional apple or a thank you card, I ask the parents and students of southern West Virginia  thank their teachers for the incredible service they provide—rain or shine—to our communities everyday.

I am a staunch supporter of West Virginia’s teachers and have made providing high quality education for West Virginia children one of my top priorities. I have supported legislation to fully fund programs such as Head Start, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act, to ensure that local school districts have the resources they need to provide West Virginia’s students with a top-notch education.  I have also fought to increase student financial assistance such as Pell grants, college work-study and federally-insured student loans, so that every hard-working student has an opportunity to go to college, and I have worked to promote university research projects at West Virginia’s Colleges and Universities 

This year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will make significant investments in education across the country. In West Virginia alone, more than $575 million will be made available through special programs and grants at the state level for education projects. In the Third Congressional District, we can hope to see more than $60 million for education initiatives that include Title I School Improvements, Child Nutrition programs, Work Study, Pell Grants and Head Start. At the core of the Reinvestment Act is the goal of bringing jobs and money back into communities. I cannot think of a better investment than in the education of children in southern West Virginia. They are our future and deserve our best efforts to prepare them to lead. That preparation begins in the classroom where young minds are molded by the fine teachers who lead by example.

We trust our Nation’s teachers with our most important task—caring for and educating our children. That’s why it is so important that we let our teachers know on National Teacher Day, and every day, just how much we value their hard work and efforts to improve education in our State and congratulate them on a job well done.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) represents West Virginia’s 3rd District.