Hoyer Meets with Local Teacher Participating in National House Fellows Program

WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) greeted Charles County Public Schools teacher, Elaine Tubb, at the U.S. Capitol last week as she participated in the 2007 House Fellows Program, an initiative of the Office of Historian to provide teachers of American history and government an in-depth study of the House of Representatives. Ms. Tubb was among nineteen educators nationwide selected for the program, which involved a week-long intensive workshop including meetings with Members of Congress, tours of significant Congressional sites, and briefings covering a wide-range of Congressional topics.

Ms. Tubb, an accomplished educator who has taught for 28 years, is a Government Resource teacher at Maurice J. McDonough, Westlake and North Point high schools where she helps students prepare for the state-mandated High School Assessments.

"What an incredible honor to have one of our exceptional 5th District educators chosen to participate in this prestigious program," stated Rep. Hoyer upon learning of Ms. Tubb's participation. "This is a fantastic opportunity for Elaine to gain valuable perspective on the functions of the ‘People's House,' which she can no doubt apply in her important work teaching our students to become better informed and more active citizens."

One of the goals of the House Fellows Program is to develop curricular materials on the history and practice of the House for use in schools. As part of the workshop, Elaine and other teachers were tasked with developing lesson plans based on their experiences in the program. These plans will become part of a teaching resource database on the House, and will be available to other teachers of history and government.

According to the Director of the House Fellows Program, Deputy House Historian, Dr. Fred Beuttler, "The Office of the House Historian's mission is to preserve and present the history of the U.S. House of Representatives. The teachers were able to experience the House firsthand so they can return to their respective schools to share their insights with their students, fellow teachers, and administrators."

The Office of the House Historian was established in 2005 as a non-partisan organization existing to support Members of Congress, their staffs, Committees, other offices, the media and the public in their need for historical information and background.

###