St. Paul Elementary School special education teacher Tracey Gadson Johnson aimed high when asking for "celebrities" to read to her self-contained classroom during Dr. Seuss Appreciation Week in early March.
"As a class, we wrote to President Barack Obama and to Congressman Jim Clyburn," Johnson said. "We also had local celebrities come and read to the students."
Obama wrote a letter of reply to the students. Clyburn, however, finally made a visit and read Monday "The Places You Will Go" to Johnson's class, which has third- through sixth-grade special education students.
"There was never an issue of if I would come," Clyburn said. "It was a matter of when I could get down here."
Clyburn said a special connection with Johnson's father, the Rev. Charles Gadson, drew him to her class.
"We were best friends growing up," Clyburn said. "I'd be lying to you if I said that connection didn't matter when I was making the decision to come."
Aside from reading the Dr. Seuss book, Clyburn took about an hour of his time Monday to field questions from the class.
See Thursday's Manning Times for more.
