[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       LANDRUM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 16, 2000

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a school in San 
Benito, Texas, that is beating the odds in today's public education 
system. At a time when our resources are terribly over-burdened, for 
the second year in a row Landrum Elementary School has been chosen as a 
winner of the ``Set A Good Example'' competition, sponsored by the 
Concerned Businessmen of America.
  These awards, launched in 1982, recognize schools which have a 
student-oriented program to influence their peers in a positive way by 
promoting simple human moral values such as honesty, trustworthiness, 
responsibility, competence and fairness. The Concerned Businessmen of 
America is a not-for-profit charitable educational organization which 
incorporates successful business strategies to combat social ills and 
problems that face young people.
  At a time when parents and community leaders are watching our young 
people with new eyes, wondering what is going on inside their minds and 
what motivates them, this recognition is concrete proof that the 
community surrounding Landrum Elementary School--educators, counselors, 
parents, business people, and most importantly, students themselves--is 
working together to ward off the problems that have plagued other 
schools and other young people. The winning ingredient here is the 
active involvement of the students; the best messenger for young people 
is other young people.
  We have enormous challenges before us in education, and with regard 
to public policy in our public schools. There will never be one single 
answer to preparing young people to withstand the complex social issues 
that our children encounter each day. But the best way to prepare our 
children to deal with the society in which we live is to teach them, 
from very early on, simple moral guidelines to apply to their lives. 
The ``Set a Good Example'' program follows up as encouragement and 
reinforcement to these lessons.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Landrum Elementary 
School for their efforts to be part of a solution, which is the first 
step toward solving the problem. I thank the young people there for 
leading the way to better grades and healthier attitudes.

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