Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Danny Whittenton, a history teacher at Lakeland's Kathleen High School in Florida's 12th Congressional District, for being recognized as the Polk County Public Schools 2008 ``Teacher of the Year''.

Danny Whittenton has devoted his career to teaching American history to three generations of Kathleen High School students. Ensuring that students have the opportunity to learn and experience the importance of history and civic responsibility, he continues to develop innovative teaching methods and is committed to making knowledge accessible to all students.

Polk County Public Schools employ over 12,300 employees, making them the largest employer in Polk County. Over 6,770 are fellow teachers. From those teachers, more than 300 applications were submitted for consideration. Danny was one of eight finalists whose nominee application was reviewed. His leadership, community and school involvement and teaching style earned him the honor of ``Teacher of the Year'' by a committee of community members, former teachers of the year and school-related employees of the year.
In 2006, Danny retired but it was short-lived as his will to teach was too strong and he returned to the classroom after only 1 month of retirement. Clearly his dedication is unwavering.

Thirty-eight years as an educator taught Danny Whittenton how to truly engage students. Dressing up as historical figures including Davy Crockett and George Washington helps spark his students' interest, and he utilizes game show concepts like History Jeopardy and History Trivial Pursuit as a contemporary way to teach history. His students also take part in the political process; organizing a Get-Out-The-Vote project, corresponding with candidates and even providing transportation to the polls for elderly citizens.

Danny is a leading example of how teachers raise student achievement through an exceptional approach. Principal Cecil McClellan of Kathleen High School shared that, ``Danny is an excellent communicator with peers, parents and students. He possesses the ability to have students on the edge of their seats while engaging them in the learning process.''

I would like to extend my congratulations to Danny Whittenton for exemplifying the core qualities of a teacher. His hard work and dedication have persevered through many years of teaching, decades of change, and thousands of students. I commend Danny for his service to three generations of Polk County students and wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.