During the week of May 5, our nation celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, where we recognize all the wonderful teachers who give our kids the tools they need to succeed in the years ahead. Missouri is blessed to have some of the best teachers anywhere, and I’m grateful for the job so many of them do.

Last year, three outstanding teachers in Southeast and South Central Missouri were recognized for their efforts. Erin Douglas, a 2^nd grade teacher at Central R-3 in Park Hills; Theresa Taylor, a high school business teacher at Cape Central in Cape Girardeau; and Hope Hunter, the librarian at Lucy Wortham James Elementary in St. James R-1 were all named Regional Teachers of the Year, and deservedly so. Our community was so proud these teachers received recognition last year, and I’m sure this year’s winners will be equally phenomenal.

One of the things I’ve always felt passionately about – even when I first began public service in the State House – was the idea that the best government is that which is closest to the people, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to education. Local communities know their people and the needs of their kids the best, and if left unburdened by one-size-fits-all federal mandates, our teachers can produce the brightest, most well-rounded students possible. That’s why I’m excited that President Trump, along with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, signed an executive order on March 20 calling on Secretary McMahon to work with Congress to return control over our children’s education future to the states. I’m enthusiastically on board with helping the President reduce the size and scope of the U.S. Department of Education in favor of more state and local control over education.

I also know so many teachers have worked hard and feel like the federal retirement system has left them at a disadvantage relative to other working Americans. In November 2023, I took the Ways and Means Committee down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to hear from teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers, and trash collectors about how obscure government formulas known as the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset were reducing their retirement benefits. We then followed up that hearing with another one in Washington to discuss solutions to the problem, and Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act in November 2024. As Chairman, I want to make sure the law is implemented as quickly as possible to get the relief into the hands of deserving teachers and other professionals. That is why I wrote to the Social Security Administration on January 10 of this year demanding they implement the law expeditiously and efficiently. Thankfully President Trump and his administration are prioritizing this relief, and these benefits began being paid in February.

My own life is better off because of the teachers in Dent County who helped shape me, and it’s why I will remain passionate about ensuring Missouri teachers receive the recognition they deserve, the flexibility they need to meet the needs of individual students, and the financial security they are owed. If you see a teacher next week, thank them for what they do to help make Missouri the best place to live.