[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BEVERLY J. ROHRER, ED.D.: A DISTINGUISHED RECORD AS SUPERINTENDENT OF 
         SCHOOLS FOR THE REDONDO BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 1998

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Beverly J. 
Rohrer on her retirement as Superintendent of Schools for the Redondo 
Beach, California, Unified School District. Her retirement ends a 
distinguished and visionary career which began in the classroom in 
1960.
  Since Beverly became Superintendent in 1990, the Redondo Beach 
schools have led the nation in innovative approaches to the use of 
technology in education. For example, she helped create the ADTECH 
Consortium, a coalition of 12 Los Angeles South Bay School Districts, 
community colleges, universities and businesses which resulted in an 
innovative high-technology training and learning center called the 
``Futures Academy.'' I was proud to participate in the ribbon-cutting 
for the Academy, which has become a ``technology schoolhouse'' for 
educating teachers, students and the community. Technologically-
proficient teachers, in turn, prepare youth for high-skilled, tech-
driven jobs of our new economy.
  Beverly also instituted many advanced educational programs. Standford 
University selected Redondo Beach as the first district in the country 
to implement their pilot Accelerated School Program. The Getty 
Education Institute for the Arts chose Redondo Union High School as a 
County Center of Excellence in Fine Arts. The award-winning Health, 
Fitness and Sport Academy promotes fitness and career opportunities. 
And, the Center for the Advancement of Arts and Entertainment is the 
focal point of the district's visual and performing arts curriculum.
  Beverly's leadership inspired invention and confidence among 
students, parents and teachers. Students manage BeachNet, the 
district's Wide Area Network. Ninth graders and teachers have laptop 
computers to begin full high school participation in wireless, wall-
free learning. KnowledgeNets is on-line 24 hours a day. And, high 
school students thousands of miles apart produced a musical, then 
performed together in Redondo Beach.
  Among Bev's other contributions and professional affiliations are 
membership on the Executive Council of the Technology for Learning 
Initiative, The National School Board Association Institute for 
Transfer of Technology to Education, and IBM's ArtsEdTech 100 
Conference.
  Mr. Speaker, Bev Rohrer will be fondly remembered for her exhaustive 
efforts to address the challenges of educating adults and teaching 
young people in a world of constant and demanding change. But most 
importantly, she can look about the community and see a legacy made of 
the thousands of children, parents, teachers and administrators whose 
lives she touched. It is a legacy for which she can be immensely proud.

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