[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 151 (Monday, November 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S13614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO MARC HULL

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, it is with much pride, and a 
little sadness, that I rise today to pay tribute to one of Vermont's 
outstanding leaders in education. Marc Hull, who recently resigned his 
post as Commissioner of Education in my home state, deserves both 
praise and gratitude for all he has accomplished for the children and 
youth of Vermont.
  At a time when education rightly tops the state and national agenda, 
we have been fortunate to have his services. Marc has effectively 
advanced the education agenda of Vermont through his dedication and 
perseverence in making sure that every child achieves his or her 
highest potential, by setting high standards and giving children and 
teachers the means to reach them. To do so, he developed the Vermont 
Framework of Standards which is serving as the guide for improving the 
performance of all Vermont schools, and most importantly the 
performance of Vermont's students.
  I also want to take this opportunity to salute Marc for his prior 
service to Vermont as Director of Special Education. He has 
consistently spoken for those who at one time had no voice and helped 
individuals advocate for themselves and their children. For years he 
has labored tirelessly to provide appropriate education programs for 
children with disabilities.
  But despite these important positions and titles, I think of Marc as 
first and foremost a teacher. He has certainly taught me, and I think 
he has probably touched and inspired everyone around him.
  I am especially fond of the example that stemmed from his visit to 
Washington, D.C. this spring. Marc had led Vermont's efforts to 
implement the federal Ed Flex law, and was invited by the President to 
attend the signing ceremony in the Rose Garden. At the ceremony, the 
President graciously gave Marc one of the pens he used to sign the 
legislation. For most of us, the story would have stopped there, as the 
pen gathered dust on our bookshelf or in a drawer. Not so for Marc. He 
took the pen with him to classrooms throughout Vermont so that hundreds 
of students had the thrill of writing a word or two with the pen the 
President used to sign the Ed Flex legislation. As usual, their 
comments were priceless, ranging from ``This must be worth millions!'' 
to ``Can I use it to write my name in my baseball cap?"
  Marc Hull has written his name into the fabric of our state. With 
compassion for all whom he served, unique leadership skills and 
unsurpassed creativity, Marc has worked to make Vermont schools the 
best they can be. I am pleased that while he has left his post as 
Commissioner, he will not leave the field of education. And wherever he 
works, I know he will continue to have an impact on helping children to 
reach higher.
  His integrity, humility and humanity make Marc Hull a wonderful 
advisor, a good friend and an asset to the nation. He's not a bad 
politician either, in the best sense of the word. Throughout my term as 
chairman of the Senate's education committee I have relied on his good 
counsel. Though he will never get proper credit, his influence has been 
felt far beyond the Green Mountains. I thank him, I wish him well, and 
I plan to continue learning from him.

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