[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 131 (Monday, October 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  HONORING MEL J. RIDDILE, NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 17, 2005

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mel 
Riddile, the MetLife/National Association of Secondary School 
Principals (NASSP) National High School Principal of the Year.
  Dr. Riddile, the principal for J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls 
Church Virginia, was named National High School Principal of the Year 
and will be recognized in Washington, DC, during the Principals' 
Institute for State and National Principals of the Year on November 11-
12, 2005.
  Dr. Riddile received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master of Arts in 
Educational Administration from George Mason University. He received 
his doctorate in Educational Leadership from George Peabody College of 
Vanderbilt University. He has served Fairfax County Public Schools for 
over 33 years, first as a social studies teacher and then serving as 
assistant principal in three area Fairfax County High Schools before 
taking the head position at J.E.B. Stuart High School in 1997.
  He is a member of numerous educational associations including the 
National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the 
Association for Supervision and Curriculum and Development. He has been 
invited to speak all over the country to share his experience with 
other educational leaders, and has been recognized by the International 
Baccalaureate of North America and featured in National Geographic 
Magazine.
  During his tenure, J.E.B. Stuart High School moved from being one of 
the lowest achieving schools in Fairfax County to becoming a NASSP 
Breakthrough High School. Dr. Riddile's campaign to achieve literacy 
for all students has been a success. He integrated annual pre- and 
post-testing of all students; and established a reading lab and 
mandatory after-school tutoring for at-risk students. He and his staff 
developed a differentiated approach to increase adult and student 
contact outside the normal classroom setting, creating a school of 
achievement while creating a sense of community. The school now serves 
as a national model for serving disadvantaged and diverse students. In 
addition, Dr. Riddile has worked with the PTSA in successfully growing 
the school's scholarship fund, to help graduates achieve their dreams 
of higher education.
  Dr. Riddile has dedicated his life to ensuring that all students are 
given the opportunity to achieve success. Over the past 33 years, he 
has made a lasting impact on thousands of students and truly deserves 
recognition for his achievements. I am proud to know him and to have 
the opportunity to work with him.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding Dr. Mel Riddile and 
congratulating him on this distinguished achievement.

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