[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 64 (Thursday, May 15, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FREEDOM WORKS AWARD

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I am excited today to present the Freedom 
Works Award to Cornerstone Schools for their fine work in educating the 
children of Detroit. I established the Freedom Works Award to celebrate 
freedom by recognizing individuals and groups who promote personal 
responsibility instead of reliance on the Government.
  Cornerstone Schools began in 1990 when a group of local businesses, 
church leaders and concerned members of the Detroit community joined 
together to establish academically challenging, faith-based schools for 
the children of Detroit.
  The school has a simple mission: Give all children, no matter what 
their circumstance, an opportunity to receive a world-class education 
and, more importantly, a chance to succeed.
  Cornerstone students participated in an 11-month school year, 
mandatory homework assignments 4 nights a week, foreign language 
classes from kindergarten to 8th grade, and winter and summer camp 
experiences. But good students and committee teachers are simply not 
enough.
  Cornerstone's strength lies in its understanding that the key to a 
child's education is parental involvement. Cornerstone requires parents 
to take an active role in their children's education. Every parent, Mr. 
Speaker, must sign this covenant with the school that requires them to 
attend regularly scheduled parent meetings, provide their children with 
a quiet environment to study, ensure that their child is in school 
every day, and to do at least 10 hours of volunteer service per year.
  Cornerstone has achieved their success without receiving a single 
penny of Federal assistance. Instead, the school has relied on personal 
initiative of community volunteers who have donated countless time and 
money to defend and finance these precious children's education.
  Cornerstone has reminded all of us that nothing is more important to 
a child's learning potential than involved parents. Mr. Speaker, I am 
very proud of this fine school; and I am very proud of one fine young 
man who wrote me from the school and told me two things that I thought 
was profound. He has moved through Cornerstone from a position of 
believing that he would never amount to anything, to progress toward 
his life's career of being a veterinarian, and he told me in this 
letter that his mother was his hero. How can you do better than that?

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