[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 18 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E252-E254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO ISABELLE GLEN-LAMBERT
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HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN
of california
in the house of representatives
Monday, March 2, 1998
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in
congratulating Isabelle
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Glen-Lambert, who is surely one of the youngest political activists in
California.
Isabelle--just seven years old--led a successful petition drive in
her school to allow all students fair access to all of the playground
equipment.
I am not surprised to see such political sophistication in one so
young, considering that here grandfather, my long time friend Bill
Lambert, is the Director of Governmental Relations for the United
Teachers of Los Angeles.
It is clear that Isabelle has inherited Bill's endless energy,
imagination and determination, and perhaps has even outdone him!
Mr. Speaker, Isabelle's extraordinary accomplishment was chronicled
in the Los Angeles Daily News in the following story. I recommend it to
my colleagues as a shining example of that wonderful old saying,
``where there's a will, there's a way.''
Playtime Politics at Work--7-Year-Old Shows Lobbyist's Acumen
(By Terri Hardy)
Like any good lobbyist, Isabelle Glen-Lambert has roamed
the hallways of the state Capitol, schmoozed with legislators
and passed out her business card along the way.
Her most successful foray into activism so far: She
directed a petition drive at Calvert Elementary School in
Woodland Hills that won students fair access to use all of
the playground equipment.
Isabelle is 7--perhaps the youngest political activist in
the Los Angeles Unified School District. She comes by it
naturally: Her grandfather is Bill Lambert, lobbyist for
United Teachers Los Angeles.
``Isabelle's been weaned on the legislative process,'' said
her dad, Floyd Glen-Lambert.
The second-grader's most impressive campaign began last
month, when Calvert's principal announced that the school's
playground equipment was no longer going to be open to all
students by grade level.
The principal had found that too many children were using
the equipment at the same time, causing some to get hurt. So
without consulting students, she directed that only those
children seen behaving well would be awarded with a ticket
and allowed to play there.
``I didn't get real upset until I started talking it out
with my friends,'' said the spunky Isabelle. ``It wasn't fair
that you had to get those dumb tags.''
Isabelle stewed about the problem, but knew that it was
possible to change the system. After all, she'd been to
Sacramento with her grandfather, watching high-powered deal
making.
She'd talked to politicians herself, handing out her own
``lobbyist'' cards, that her father--a commercial printer--
had made.
(Asked about her grandfather, Isabelle had a quick
response: ``He's never been a law--he's still a Bill,'' then
let out a guffaw.)
A possible solution to the playground problem dawned when
Isabelle's mother remembered that as a youngster, she had
circulated a petition among her classmates so girls would be
allowed to wear pants at school.
One morning at breakfast, Isabelle shared her plan--
``Daddy, I've made my decision, I'm going to make a
petition.''
``We kicked it around a little bit, she wrote it, and put
it on a clipboard,'' Glen-Lambert said.
Her first signature came from her 5-year-old sister, Rosie.
Several names later, she walked into the principal's office.
``I wanted to give her the biggest hug,'' said Calvert
Principal Shelley Rivlin-Hollis. ``It indicated she had a
real sense of security here, and also that she had an
understanding of the democratic process.''
Rivlin-Hollis decided that the best way to handle the
petition--the first she'd gotten as principal there--was to
have the school's student council debate the issue.
Representatives from grades three to five chose sides of
the question and then interviewed students, teachers and yard
monitors to back up their arguments. The ``great debate'' was
held in early December.
Those on the ``pro'' side argued that more children got
hurt under the old system, which allowed use of the apparatus
by rotating the chance to play on the equipment grade level
by grade level.
``Less people got hurt when it was an award, in fact, no
one got hurt then,'' said Rocio Carbajal, a 10-year-old
student council member.
But Derrik Clark, 11, countered that ``no matter what kind
of area, if kids aren't careful, they're going to get hurt.''
Jerry Johnson, 10, tipped the scales when he argued that
everyone should have access.
``Even when some people are bad, they still want to play
there,'' he said.
In a close vote, the council supported Isabelle's
petition--with the new proviso that it would now be rotated
by classroom, not based on grade level or good behavior,
keeping the amount of children in the area down and limiting
the chance of injury.
``Kids identified the issue and solved the problem,
everyone was happy with the resolution,'' Rivlin-Hollis said.
Glen-Lambert said he was thrilled that the children were
allowed their say.
``We have shared decision making at this school, but
sometimes people forget about the children,'' Glen-Lambert
said.
And Isabelle? She was happy just to get back on the monkey
bars.
``Look around this place,'' said Isabelle, gesturing at the
wide expanse of blacktop playground. ``Do you see anything
else good to play on?''
Although pleased with the experience, it hasn't swayed the
little girl from her aspiration to become a singer.
``Would I like to be a lobbyist? No,'' she said. ``When I
went up to Sacramento, it seemed like a lot of work.''
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