[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING JANE KRATOCHVIL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2001

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize an admirable citizen from 
the great state of Illinois, Jane Kratochvil. As President Bush 
releases his Education Plan, ``No Child Left Behind,'' and sets up his 
Faith Based Liaison Office in the White House that will encourage 
volunteer work as part of a multi-pronged approach to addressing social 
challenges, I wanted to take this opportunity to draw your attention to 
Ms. Kratochvil who is a shining example of selfless volunteerism.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to a very demanding full time job, Ms. 
Kratochvil spends her unpaid free time working with a program called 
``The School First Foundation.'' This non-profit organization helps 
underserved K-12 schools gain access to technology and teaching 
resources that serve to improve their learning environment. As part of 
this program, Jane works extensively in the Chicago inner-city area and 
travels on occasion to help in the difficult Roxbury district of 
Boston.
  Jane's efforts are commendable. Not only is she touching the lives of 
the many underprivileged boys and girls she is teaching directly, but 
her organization is helping to identify and advance educational content 
that improves learning performance, so in essence, she is helping more 
students improve their minds and lives than we could ever quantify.
  I want to extend my deepest thanks to Jane Kratochvil and all others 
like her. It is through volunteers like Jane that we will be successful 
in ensuring that all children receive a quality education and a fair 
shot at a successful life.

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