[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO HELEN BERNSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 1997

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of a 
valuable member of our community, Helen Bernstein. Ms. Bernstein leaves 
a lifetime of work and dedication on behalf of our children's 
education.
  Helen completed her undergraduate education at UCLA, going on to do 
her graduate work in psychology at California State University 
Northridge. She then began her career as teacher. Teaching at both the 
junior high and high school levels, she quickly earned a reputation 
among students and her colleagues as an outstanding educator. Although 
she thrived on the direct daily interaction with the children, her 
natural leadership abilities eventually led her to taking a more active 
role in the teaching community.
  In 1990 she was elected president of United Teachers of Los Angeles 
[UTLA], a position she held until 1996. She led Los Angeles teachers 
through a tumultuous period in which they experienced efforts to break 
up the school system, efforts to cut funding for teachers, and internal 
strife. She faced these obstacles in the only way she knew how, head 
on. Helen was never one to shy away from conflict or adversity, as she 
had a way of embracing these issues and quickly bringing the debate 
back to her focus--the welfare of the children. Colleagues of Helen 
consistently comment on both her courage of conviction and her 
unwavering commitment to the goal of improving schools for the children 
of Los Angeles.
  Last year Helen stepped down as president of UTLA, but remained 
active in the effort to reform our schools. She became director of the 
Teacher Union Reform Network a multistate project designed to 
coordinate various school reforms and improve student achievement. In 
addition, Helen had recently taken a position as an education adviser 
to Mayor Riordan, in an effort to increase his role in school reform.
  Indeed Helen Bernstein's life and work have left an indelible mark on 
the Los Angeles public school system. Her legacy was best stated in a 
recent Los Angeles Times editorial, ``Bernstein stood for higher 
academic standards and more emphasis on discipline and student testing. 
She saw the teachers as the key to higher standards and would stop at 
nothing to make that point. . .  .''
  Recently Ms. Bernstein passed away, leaving our community with a 
great loss. Her lifelong work on behalf of our educational system will 
not be soon forgotten. Ms. Bernstein served as a voice of those often 
left voiceless, the students of Los Angeles. We will miss her greatly.

                          ____________________