Willie Tenorio – Hays CISD Trustee

Tenorio Education Rally Speech

(Willie Tenorio, Hays CISD Board Trustee, delivered this speech at the TSTA Day of Education Rally in Kyle, TX, April 2, 2011)

A few decades ago, just down the street, my Dad called me over. We were at the old city hall, here in Kyle, on a sunny, October Saturday, during Fair on the Square. My Dad said, “I want you to shake this lady’s hand. My Dad introduced me to his former teacher. She had made a big impact on him. He was proud to have known her and wanted me to know her too.

My Dad’s math teacher was Laura B Wallace, who taught for 26 years in the Kyle Independent School District. Wallace Middle School, located next to this park, is named for her.

Is there a teacher you remember? A teacher or teachers who made a big impact on your life? Who you would be proud to introduce to your children?

Let’s give thanks for the teachers who influenced our lives.

Repeat after me, loudly, so the folks at the fajita cook off down the street will hear you.

Repeat after me, I thank my teachers, for believing in me, for helping me, for going the extra mile, to help me learn.

I thank my teachers for staying with me after class, helping me before school, during lunch, to help me grow and learn.

I thank my teachers for the guidance, respect, and caring they bring the classroom.

Today we stand with our teachers, custodians, principals, cafeteria workers and most IMPORTANTLY, OUR STUDENTS and say SAVE OUR SCHOOLS, SAVE OUR CHILDEN’S FUTURE, FUND EDUCATION.

Zig Ziglar tells a story about a man, fishing on a pier.

The fisherman casts a line into the water and reels in a big fish, looks at it, and then tosses it back into the water.

The fisherman casts a second line into the water, and reels in a larger fish, looks at it, and then tosses it back into the water.

Once again, the fisherman casts a line into the water and reels in the biggest fish, looks at it, and then tosses it back into the water.

The fisherman casts one more line into the water, and reels in a small fish. He places it into the bucket.

Ziglar asks the fisherman, “Why did you toss the big fish back into the water, but keep the tiniest fish.”

The fisherman said, “ I really wanted to keep the big fish, but you see, all I have is this little bitty frying pan.”

The moral of that story is to not settle. Life is trying to give you the best, don’t reject it and settle for less. That’s a lesson we want to impart to our kids.

Let me tell you, if the state doesn’t use the rainy day funds to save education, in essence, the state is telling our children to settle for a smaller frying pan and to toss their future back into the water. I say If it doesn’t fit in the pan, find a bigger pan!

We want an excellent education for our children, one that will help them reach their full potential, to grow up and get a good job, start a business, support their family, buy a home, pay their taxes, and help others.

When our children work on their homework and we review it, and notice it will probably get them a grade of “C”, we tell them to work harder and strive for the “A”, and not settle for less.

If we expect our students to work harder, we MUST expect our representatives to work harder to find the money to fully fund public education, and provide the support our students need to excel.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. NO TEACHER LEFT BEHIND. SAVE OUR SCHOOLS!