Carol Lee Gho's Selection to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education

CAROL LEE GHO'S SELECTION TO THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INDIAN EDUCATION
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I appreciate the indulgence for a few minutes to say a few quick words about a fellow Alaskan.

It will come as no surprise to anyone in this body that I have expressed some concerns about the feasibility of implementing the No Child Left Behind legislation in the remote villages of rural Alaska. Descendants of the first peoples of Alaska, Eskimos, Indians and Aleuts, make up most of the inhabitants of these villages.

Last year, I brought Secretary Paige to rural Alaska so that he could fully comprehend the challenges of educating children in the villages. It is clear to me, and I believe it became clear to the Secretary, that our national education policy must be informed by the experiences of parents, teachers, and school administrators on the ground if it is to be effective. The Secretary must not only know what is going on in the classrooms of our largest cities but also in the farthest corners of our Nation. When it comes to educating our children, one size does not fit all, and nobody knows this better than an experienced classroom teacher.

I was pleased to learn that President Bush has selected an exemplary Alaska classroom teacher to work with Secretary Paige in the improvement of educational opportunities for American Indian and Alaska native students. I am speaking of Carol Lee Gho, of Fairbanks, AK, who will soon join the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.

Carol was raised in the rural Alaska villages of Lake Minchumina and Manley Hot Springs. Her mother was Inupiaq Eskimo from the village of Wainwright. After graduating from Brigham Young University with a major in mathematics, she began her teaching career at the junior high school level in California, Utah and Arizona.

In 1984, 11 years after leaving the classroom to raise a family, Carol resumed her teaching duties in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. She taught in the Fairbanks district continuously until her retirement in June 2003.

Carol loved teaching and she is fondly remembered for her work as a math teacher at Lathrop High School. However, she also takes great pride in the 3 years she taught at Howard Luke Academy, an alternative high school. During those 3 years, the performance of her students in mathematics improved dramatically.

Carol has been actively involved with the Association of Interior Native Educators. She served on their Board of Directors for over 7 years and was President from 1999 until 2002. She has also been a leader of the Fairbanks Native Association and has served as an advisor to the Alaska Department of Education.

Carol dreamed that after retirement she would have an opportunity to focus more of her attention on making classroom curriculum relevant to Native students. I am gratified that the President has made it possible for Carol to fulfill this desire. As a member of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, Carol will have an opportunity to influence the quality of education enjoyed by American Indian and Alaska Native students for generations to come.

I wish Carol great success in her new role and look forward to working closely with her on matters of education policy in the coming years.

I yield the floor.