A house RESOLUTION

to recognize and honor Mike burgess, a history teacher at River Bluff high school in lexington County, and to congratulate him for receiving the 2022-2023 OUTSTANding Teacher of American History Award.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Mike Burgess, a history teacher at River Bluff High School, received the prestigious Teacher of American History Award for the 2022-2023 school year from the South Carolina State Society Daughters of the American Revolution (SCSDAR) at an event in his honor in March; and

Whereas, this award is presented annually by the SCSDAR to recognize a teacher who demonstrates exceptional knowledge, creativity, and dedication to teaching American history and who promotes American history education in South Carolina.  Mr. Burgess placed third in the nation for the National DAR Teacher of the Year Award.  His innovative approach has inspired students to learn and appreciate American history and has earned the respect of his colleagues; and

Whereas, Mr. Burgess earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1993 and a master's degree in education in 1995, both from the University of South Carolina, and has continued his education through such programs as the Monticello Teachers Institute in the summer of 2019; and

Whereas, Mr. Burgess is a teacher for the Center for Law and Global Policy Development at River Bluff High School in Lexington, a two-year program housed at River Bluff High School and is available to all juniors and seniors of the five high schools in Lexington County School District One.  The program focuses on leadership development and policy creation in the areas of law, politics, and foreign affairs. He has taught Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) since the opening of the school in August 2013, building the program from three sections to eight since then; and

Whereas, he has developed a number of history-based programs on the campus of River Bluff High School, such as A Call to Duty, which is a student-led history hike telling the story of the land on which the school is built from the Pre-Colonial Period to the 20th Century.   In its fifth year, the program is  a guaranteed experience for every tenth grade student at River Bluff.  He also inspired the creation of the student-led River Bluff Historic Preservation Society whose stated mission is to research, interpret, and share the rich history of the River Bluff campus.  He spearheaded the Junior Class Learning Expedition, a cross-curricular, deep dive into the history of the River Bluff community and is part of the established United States history and AP United States history curriculum.  He has completed his twenty-seventh year as a public high school history teacher in South Carolina and is in his tenth year at the Center for Law and Global Policy Development at River Bluff; and

Whereas, a lifelong American Revolution historian, Mr. Burgess received the 2022 South Carolina Veterans of Foreign Wars High School Teacher of the Year Award.  In 2014, he was the South Carolina Sons of the American Revolution Teacher of the Year.  He often speaks and gives tours of battlefields as well as other tours to groups across the State of South Carolina; and

Whereas, he and his beloved wife and college sweetheart, Chrystal, have four children: Caylee, Jackson, Manning, and Madelyn.  He and his family have attended the historic St. Stephens Lutheran Church since 2011.  They have participated in programs in the church life of St. Stephens, and he serves on the Church Council and delivers talks on the history of the church and its past members; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives values the pride and recognition that Mike Burgess has brought to his school and to the Palmetto State, and the members look forward to hearing of his continued achievements as he helps to build the next generation of citizens.  Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Mike Burgess, a history teacher at River Bluff High School in Lexington County, and congratulate him for receiving the 2022-2023 Outstanding Teacher of American History Award.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Mike Burgess.

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