[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 52 (Thursday, April 15, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORS LISETTE BERNIER-McGOWAN FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 1999

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to honor the 
fine work and outstanding public service of Lisette Bernier-McGowan. 
Lisette is well deserving of our commendation after thirty years of 
service to the New Haven public school system and community.
  Lisette was raised and educated in Puerto Rico, and upon her arrival 
in Connecticut recognized the need for greater bilingual education in 
our schools. She earned two Masters Degrees at Southern Connecticut 
State University, in Modern Foreign Languages and Elementary Bilingual 
Education, and set out to build a system of increased diversity within 
the public school curriculum and community. For more than two decades 
she has given her time and expertise for the good of New Haven young 
people.
  Her knowledge in bilingual and english as a second language programs 
is highly regarded by other leaders in this field. She has served on 
the Commissioner's Task Force on Bilingual Education, the 
Superintendent's Task Force for Excellence in Education, the Yale Study 
Groups on Bilingual Education and Cultural Bias.
  Most recently she has served as Director of two innovative education 
programs. The Bilingual Science Project is a comprehensive three-year 
teacher training program on effective strategies for the integration of 
science and language acquisition. The BRIDGE Project is a reform effort 
in three New Haven elementary schools in New Haven designed to provide 
rigorous literacy development. While leading these efforts, she 
concurrently served as Chair of the New Haven Public Schools Task Force 
on Bilingual Education. Her commitment to this issue has lead to real 
progress in developing and implementing sound bilingual education 
policy and curriculum.
  Several local organizations have honored her consistent leadership in 
the community. Among her achievements, Lisette has been awarded the 
Bilingual Director of the Year, the Connecticut Latinas in Leadership 
Award, LULAC Award for Leadership in Education, and the YMCA Women in 
Leadership award. We are not the first to recognize Lisett's 
contribution, but I am proud to take this opportunity to join others in 
our community to honor this talented woman.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to rise today and join with 
family, friends, and the City of New Haven to pay tribute to Lisette 
Bernier-McGowan for outstanding service to our community. She has truly 
left a positive mark on New Haven that will benefit our schools and our 
young people for years to come. Educator, leader, and friend, Lisette's 
exceptional commitment and dedication have made her a model to which we 
can all aspire.

                          ____________________