John McCain

thank you __PUNCT__

i happi to be back at episcop __PUNCT__ my alma mater __PUNCT__ which i have mani happi memori of __PUNCT__ and a few that i sure former teacher __PUNCT__ school_administr and i would rather forget __PUNCT__

until i enrol at episcop __PUNCT__ my educ had been constantli disrupt by the demand of my father naval career __PUNCT__ which requir us to move so often that i lost_track of the number of school i attend __PUNCT__

my parent had resolv final to put an end to our haphazard educ and enrol my sister __PUNCT__ brother and me in board_school __PUNCT__

i arriv here a pretti rambuncti boi __PUNCT__ with a littl bit of a chip on my shoulder __PUNCT__

i wa alwai the new kid __PUNCT__ and wa accustom to prove myself quickli at each new school as someon not to be challeng lightli __PUNCT__

as a young_man __PUNCT__ i would respond aggress and sometim irrespons to anyon whom i perceiv to have question my sens of honor and self __PUNCT__ respect __PUNCT__

those respons often got me in a fair amount of troubl earlier in life __PUNCT__

in all candor __PUNCT__ as an adult i been known to forget occasion the discret expect of a person of my year and station when i believ i been accord a lack of respect i did not deserv __PUNCT__

self __PUNCT__ improv should be a work in progress all our live __PUNCT__ and i confess to need it as much as anyon __PUNCT__

but i believ if my detractor had known me at episcop thei might marvel at the self __PUNCT__ restraint and mellow i develop as an adult __PUNCT__

or perhap thei wouldn't quit see it that wai __PUNCT__

howev much i wa captiv to the unruli passion of youth __PUNCT__ which some of my classmat and friend at episcop could attest to as thei share more than a few of those attribut themselv __PUNCT__ after a difficult first year adjust to life here __PUNCT__ i came to appreci thi place veri much __PUNCT__

episcop had borrow some of it tradit from militari academi __PUNCT__

on in particular __PUNCT__ bother me a bit __PUNCT__ the design of first year student as __PUNCT__ rat __PUNCT__ and the mild haze that accompani the design __PUNCT__

mild or not __PUNCT__ i resent it __PUNCT__ more than i should of __PUNCT__ and i made my resent clear in my usual immatur wai to upperclassman and school_offici __PUNCT__ pile up demerit and earn the distinct at the end of the year of __PUNCT__ worst rat __PUNCT__

but __PUNCT__ for whatev reason __PUNCT__ episcop did offer me a home here __PUNCT__ and if it regret that decis __PUNCT__ it didn't make it known through the usual mean __PUNCT__

memori often accord our high_school school_year the distinct of be among the happiest of our live __PUNCT__

i rememb episcop in that light __PUNCT__

the academ were superb and seriou __PUNCT__ a testament to the mani fine teacher here __PUNCT__

athlet were accord almost equal weight __PUNCT__ and i appreci the opportun it gave a mediocr athlet to particip in team sport __PUNCT__

and the honor code here __PUNCT__ i will not lie __PUNCT__ i will not cheat __PUNCT__ i will not steal __PUNCT__ wa much the same as the code my parent had taught and which would govern my behavior at annapoli and in the navi __PUNCT__

and if i didn't appreci it as much as i should have __PUNCT__ i learn to do so when my honor wa challeng by more seriou threat than i ever face in high_school __PUNCT__

and i had good_friend here __PUNCT__ and those friendship make up the best part of my remembr __PUNCT__

there wa on friendship that enrich my life at eh beyond measur __PUNCT__

were william b __PUNCT__ ravenel the onli person i rememb from episcop __PUNCT__ i would credit those dai among the best in my life __PUNCT__

hi influenc in my life wa more import and more benevol than that of ani person outsid my famili __PUNCT__

mr __PUNCT__ ravenel wa head of the english depart __PUNCT__ and coach the junior varsiti footbal team __PUNCT__ on which i plai __PUNCT__

he had been a star run back at davidson colleg and had a master degre in english from duke __PUNCT__

like most men of hi gener __PUNCT__ he had known far greater danger than that pose by a tough defens line __PUNCT__

he had serv in patton tank corp dure the third armi aggress advanc across europ __PUNCT__ and had surviv hard encount with hitler panzer divis __PUNCT__

he wa a lieuten colonel in the armi reserv __PUNCT__ the onli master at school who still serv in the militari __PUNCT__

he seem to hi student to be as wise and capabl as anyon could expect to be __PUNCT__

he love english_literatur __PUNCT__ and taught us to love it as well __PUNCT__

he had a wai of commun with hi student that wa uniqu person and effect __PUNCT__

he made us appreci how profound were the emot that anim the charact in shakespear tragedi __PUNCT__

macbeth and hamlet in hi care were as compel to boi as thei were to the most learn scholar __PUNCT__

no other teacher had as much of our respect and affect __PUNCT__

he wa simpli the best man at the school __PUNCT__ on of the best men i have ever known __PUNCT__

as luck would have it __PUNCT__ i wa order to work off my demerit in mr __PUNCT__ ravenel yard __PUNCT__

i don't know if school author were intention do me a favor and knew that mr __PUNCT__ ravenel would be abl to help repair the all __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ evid flaw in my person __PUNCT__

neither do i know why he took an interest in me __PUNCT__

but i count the fact that he did among the most fortun relationship in my life __PUNCT__

i discuss all manner of subject with him __PUNCT__ from sport to the short_stori of somerset maugham __PUNCT__ from hi combat experi to my futur __PUNCT__

he wa on of the few peopl to whom i confid that i wa bound for annapoli and a navi career __PUNCT__ and to whom i confess my reserv about my fate __PUNCT__

in the fall of my senior_year __PUNCT__ a member of the j.v __PUNCT__ footbal team had broken team rule __PUNCT__

i cannot recal the exact natur of the offens __PUNCT__ but it wa seriou enough to warrant hi expuls from the team __PUNCT__

mr __PUNCT__ ravenel call a team meet __PUNCT__ and most player argu the accus should be drop from the roster __PUNCT__

i offer the onli argument for a less sever punish __PUNCT__

the student in question had broken train __PUNCT__

but unlik the rest of us __PUNCT__ he had chosen at the start of the year not to sign a pledg promis to abid faithfulli by the train rule __PUNCT__

had he sign it __PUNCT__ i wouldn't have defend him __PUNCT__

moreov __PUNCT__ he had confess hi offens and express remors freeli without fear of discoveri __PUNCT__

i thought hi behavior honor __PUNCT__

so did mr __PUNCT__ ravenel __PUNCT__

but he kept hi own counsel __PUNCT__ prefer hi boi to reason the thing out for ourselv __PUNCT__

as we were do so __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ ravenel began to nod hi head when some of the other began to take up the defens __PUNCT__

final __PUNCT__ he close the matter by voic hi support for lenienc __PUNCT__

the team vote to drop the matter __PUNCT__

after the meet broke up __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ ravenel told me we had done the right thing and thank me __PUNCT__

he said he had been anxiou befor the meet __PUNCT__ but had not want to be the on who argu for exoner __PUNCT__

he want the decis to be our __PUNCT__

he told me he wa proud of me __PUNCT__

everi child should be bless with a teacher like i had __PUNCT__ and to learn at institut with high academ standard and code of conduct that reinforc the valu their parent try to impart to them __PUNCT__

mani student do have that opportun __PUNCT__

but too mani do not __PUNCT__

and govern should be concern with their fate __PUNCT__

i support the no child_left behind act becaus it recogn that we can no longer accept high_standard for some student and low standard for other __PUNCT__

with honest report of student progress we begin to see what is happen to student who were previous invis to us __PUNCT__

that is progress on it own __PUNCT__ but we can and we must do better __PUNCT__

if a fail school won't chang __PUNCT__ it shouldn't be beyond the reach of student to chang their school __PUNCT__

parent should be abl to send their children to the school that best suit their need just as cindi and i have been abl to do __PUNCT__ whether it is a public __PUNCT__ privat or parochi_school __PUNCT__

the result will not be the demis of the public_school_system in america __PUNCT__ but competit that will help make public school account and as success as thei should be in a countri as great and prosper as our __PUNCT__

teach is among the most honor profess ani american can join __PUNCT__

after our parent __PUNCT__ few peopl influenc our earli_life as profoundli as teacher __PUNCT__

their is an underpaid profess __PUNCT__ dedic to the servic of other __PUNCT__ which offer littl in the wai of the reward that much of popular_cultur encourag us to crave __PUNCT__ wealth and celebr __PUNCT__

but though it might lack much in the wai of creatur comfort and renown __PUNCT__ teach offer a reward far more valuabl __PUNCT__ the profound satisfact that come from know you have made a differ for the better in someon els life __PUNCT__

good_teacher occupi a place in our memori that accord them a rever we give few other __PUNCT__

we should be wise enough to understand that those who work dilig and lovingli to educ the children we entrust to their care __PUNCT__ deserv the gratitud and support mani of us wish we had given those of our own teacher __PUNCT__ who onc made such a differ in our own live __PUNCT__

we should reward the best of them with merit_pai __PUNCT__ and encourag teacher who have lost their focu on the children thei teach to find anoth line of work __PUNCT__

school should compet to be innov __PUNCT__ flexibl and student __PUNCT__ center institut __PUNCT__ not safe_haven for the uninspir and unaccount __PUNCT__

thei should be abl to compet for dedic __PUNCT__ effect __PUNCT__ charact __PUNCT__ build teacher __PUNCT__ hire them and reward them __PUNCT__

i believ we should encourag militari veteran to enter the teach profess __PUNCT__ and i advoc the troop __PUNCT__ to __PUNCT__ teacher act __PUNCT__

the sens of heighten respons and duti to a caus greater than themselv that veteran were taught in the disciplin and code of conduct of the arm_forc make mani of them excel candid to impart those virtu to our children __PUNCT__ and help them see the valu of learn as a mean to self __PUNCT__ improv and much nobler end __PUNCT__

there is no reason on earth that thi great_countri should not possess the best educ_system in the world __PUNCT__

we have let fear of uncertainti __PUNCT__ and a view that educ primari purpos is to protect job for teacher and administr degrad our sens of the possibl in america __PUNCT__

there is no excus for it __PUNCT__

in the global_economi what you learn is what you earn __PUNCT__

but todai __PUNCT__ studi_show that half of hispan and half of african_american enter high_school do not graduat with their class __PUNCT__

by the __NUM__ grade __PUNCT__ u. __PUNCT__ student in math and scienc score near the bottom of all industri_nation __PUNCT__

we need to shake up fail school bureaucraci with competit __PUNCT__ empow parent with choic __PUNCT__ remov barrier to qualifi instructor __PUNCT__ attract and reward superior teacher __PUNCT__ and have a fair __PUNCT__ but sure process to weed out incompet __PUNCT__

speak person __PUNCT__ i doubt i will ever meet anoth person who had the impact on my life that my english teacher at episcop high_school did __PUNCT__

but i know there ar mani american who should teach and could influenc children as benefici as he did me __PUNCT__

all children should have a teacher like i had __PUNCT__ who thei rememb when thei have children and grandchildren as on of the most fortun relationship of their live __PUNCT__

i have never forgotten the confid mr __PUNCT__ ravenel prais and trust in me gave me __PUNCT__

nor have i forgotten the man who prais me __PUNCT__

mani year later __PUNCT__ when i came home from vietnam __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ ravenel wa the onli person outsid of my famili whom i want to see urgent __PUNCT__

i felt he wa someon to whom i could explain what had happen to me __PUNCT__ and who would understand __PUNCT__

that is a high tribut to mr __PUNCT__ ravenel __PUNCT__

for i have never known a prison of war who felt he could fulli explain the experi to anyon who had not share it __PUNCT__

i regret that i wa never abl to pai him that tribut __PUNCT__

he had di of a heart_attack two year befor i came home __PUNCT__

he live for onli fifti __PUNCT__ three year __PUNCT__ but in that time he had made a life for himself and so mani other that wa so much greater than the brief moment of life he wa allow __PUNCT__

hi death wa a great loss to hi famili __PUNCT__ friend __PUNCT__ episcop __PUNCT__ to the student he had taught with such devot and to everyon who had been bless with hi compani __PUNCT__ a loss i still find difficult to accept __PUNCT__

but becaus he help teach me to be a man __PUNCT__ and to believ in the possibl that we ar not captiv to the worst part of our natur __PUNCT__ i will alwai believ that there is a mr __PUNCT__ ravenel somewher for everi child who need him __PUNCT__