WHEREAS, Ed and his family lived in several places throughout the United States before settling in Bellevue, Washington; and

WHEREAS, Ed attended and graduated from Newport High School and went on to earn a political science degree from Western Washington University, graduating in 1973; and

WHEREAS, Ed began his teaching career at Yelm High School in 1974, where he taught Current World History, Current World Problems, and American Government; and

WHEREAS, Soon thereafter, Ed met and fell in love with a young Evergreen College student named Melissa, who moved in next door to him; and

WHEREAS, Ed continued teaching grades 9-12 for 42 years until his retirement in November 2016; and

WHEREAS, Ed was always overwhelmingly identified by Yelm High School's graduating seniors as the teacher who had the greatest impact on their lives due to his passion, creativity, commitment to excellence, tough standards, and their own personal growth; and

WHEREAS, Ed insisted on his students educating themselves on a subject before examining the pros and cons of a particular policy choice; and

WHEREAS, Ed had credibility with his students, not only due to his depth of knowledge, but because of his ability to be a neutral moderator, allowing each side to express themselves, only intervening to clarify and direct; and

WHEREAS, Ed often referred to a study revealing that students who discussed political issues in high school were more likely to be voters, and always kept a stack of voter registration cards in his class; and

WHEREAS, Ed's students studied apartheid in South Africa, the unrest in Central America, the Iranian Revolution and ensuing hostage crisis, the nuclear arms race, the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, physician-assisted suicide, energy policy, Haiti, the death penalty, the U.S. budget, the Clinton impeachment, education reform, sexual harassment, Supreme Court nominations and court decisions, Watergate, and every presidential administration since Gerald Ford; and

WHEREAS, Ed had his classes follow the Washington State Legislature, debating and voting on bills before the governing body; and

WHEREAS, Ed often brought guests into the classroom to speak to his students, including school administrators, state legislators, U.S. representatives, and refugees from Bosnia and the civil war in El Salvador; and

WHEREAS, Ed believed personal contact between decision-makers and students helped make politics more personal, allowing students to assert themselves by asking questions and offering opinions; and

WHEREAS, Ed modeled parts of the civil life: Knowledge, discussion, and decision in a spirit of cordiality, and his students learned that disagreement was inevitable and to be tolerant of the opinions of others; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, Ed received the Barbara Thomas Scholarship for Innovative Teachers from the Washington State School Directors' Association; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, Ed received National Board Certification for excellence in teaching; in 2012, he was named Washington State Legislative Civic Educator of the Year; and in 2014, he was named National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History; and

WHEREAS, Ed infused his work with infectious joy and humor, extraordinary patience, and courage and enthusiasm; and

WHEREAS, Ed dedicated his life and career to the small town of Yelm and to two-and-a-half generations of children; and

WHEREAS, Every student, parent, colleague, and friend who knew Ed are grateful for his steadfast dedication to his students and community, and deeply mourn his passing;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives honor Ed Bergh's distinguished career of public school service and the lasting impact he left on his students and the community he served and loved.