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May 8, 2018
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Good
teachers do more than teach – they create, cultivate, and inspire. Teachers can
be powerful and dynamic forces in motivating children to succeed in school,
which leads to success in life. There are few professions these days that
provide opportunities to change lives. Our teachers share this duty and honor.
The State of Washington values them and invests over half of our $45 billion operating
budget in K-12 education. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week across
America, which provides us an opportunity to reflect on our teachers’ hard
work -- work that has become increasingly difficult given the demands of our
global economy and our societal challenges.
For
me personally, attending schools here in North Central Washington for my entire
K-12 education was truly a blessing. I learned from many fantastic teachers
throughout my years in the Wenatchee School District, and I am truly grateful
for the inspiration, instruction, and guidance that they provided. Here are a
few stories about teachers who influenced me at every school along the way in
elementary, middle, and high school:
- Sue Berry was my second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary. She
noticed that I loved to participate in class, but she couldn’t
understand much of what I said. At parent-teacher conference time, she
had both the courage and compassion to discuss with my family a problem
that they didn’t hear – my speech impediments. Soon they started
listening for them. Later that week at the old Snyder’s Bakery in
Wenatchee, my mother overheard me enthusiastically tell the owner that
“We really like a lotta bwead.” The owner looked down at me, smiled
widely, and replied, “You’re so cute. How do you like your water bed?”
My parents realized Mrs. Berry was right! I later spent months in
intensive speech therapy, both in the district and with a private
therapist. Mrs. Berry was a fantastic teacher in so many amazing ways,
but nothing could have helped me more than her noticing this need early
in my life and caring enough about me to tell my parents.
- Bill Motsenbocker, now the Superintendent of Cascade School District in
Leavenworth, was my seventh-grade teacher at Orchard Middle School.
“Mots” always found a way to involve the entire class in every lesson.
He was also the track coach and we often ran together. Track practice at
Orchard Middle School was a highlight of my day. The encouragement and
coaching from Mots led me to high school cross country and track. I then
ran in college, competed at the national championships, and later
qualified for and finished the 100th Boston Marathon in 1996. I enjoyed
years of fond running memories thereafter. My distance running mentality
and work ethic apply to other aspects of life. I offer a special thanks
to all coaches and advisors because extracurricular activities, similar
to classroom teaching, can make immeasurable differences for children.
- Gayle Northcutt was my freshman English teacher at Wenatchee High
School. Simply put, she is a special person and one to whom I will be
forever grateful. Ms. Northcutt had a masterful command of her subject
area and an incredible way of motivating students. She cared about each
one of us – and we all knew it. One day she asked me to hang around
after class. When all of the students had left, she calmly explained to
me that I lacked English skills, primarily writing skills. I was
stunned. If Ms. Northcutt had not been so genuinely kind and
compassionate about it, I probably would have been angry. I knew right
then that she wanted to help me. She even offered to spend extra time
with me individually. It took weeks and even months, but I learned to
write well. She patiently taught me word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence,
and page-by-page. Thanks to Ms. Northcutt, I refuse to be intimidated by
any writing assignment or task…even to this day.
As
your State Senator, my job often involves speaking at events, enduring marathon
days at the Capitol, or writing policy positions and published pieces. I think
of amazing teachers like Mrs. Berry who helped me speak clearly, Mr. Motsenbocker
who trained me to endure, and Ms. Northcutt who taught me to write.
These
are just three of the incredible teachers who helped shape my life throughout my school
years. We have many amazing teachers across North Central Washington making a
difference each day for our students. These teachers are supported by dedicated
school district staff and school board members. Please take the time to thank
them. They deserve our support.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as your state senator. If you
have any questions or comments, please contact my office anytime using the
information below.
It is an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Brad Hawkins
State Senator
Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District
E-mail:
brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Website: senatorbradhawkins.org
107 Newhouse Building
- P.O. Box 40412 | Olympia, WA 98504-0412
(360) 786-7622 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
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