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Hi. I’m Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, and I’m the Assistant Secretary for Elementary
and Secondary Education. I went to school for 24 years and in all that time, one teacher
stands out as the one who made all the difference in my life. My teacher, Mrs. Silverman, set
the bar high for all of my teachers to follow. As my Kindergarten teacher, she welcomed a
nervous Spanish-speaking child into her classroom and made sure I was successful. She went out
of her way to make sure that I was growing, not just academically, but socially and emotionally.
She arranged play dates for me, taught me my second language without devaluing my first
and showed me the magic and the wonders of learning. Mrs. Silverman set me on the path
of making education my career. Twenty years after I entered her classroom, I stood in
front of my own classroom as a bilingual teacher. Today, after having been a teacher, a principal,
and a superintendent, it is an honor to serve with the U.S. Department of Education. It’s
because of Mrs. Silverman that I am where I am today and so, during this week dedicated
to appreciating our teachers, I want to thank Mrs. Silverman from the bottom of my heart.
She truly, truly changed my life.
Thank you.