[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRATULATING THE INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI SCHOOL DISTRICT

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                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2007

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 
Independence, Missouri School District for receiving a 2007 Community 
Schools National Award for Excellence. This prestigious award is 
bestowed upon only two other areas in our nation by the Coalition for 
Community Schools, honoring communities that demonstrate a commitment 
to creating community schools.
  The Independence School District has worked tirelessly through its 
``Inspiring Greatness Initiative'' to put public schools at the center 
of a connected community, To do this, the Independence School District 
has initiated programs that serve children, families, and the community 
before, during, and after school. In this way, the public schools 
become a hub for the larger community, connecting families and 
resources.
  The ``Inspiring Greatness Initiative'' has had many successes. 
``Kids' Safari,'' the school district's before and after school 
program, which has been studied by Yale University, has resulted in 
increased classroom performance; greater self-reliance and task 
completion; and better school attendance, with students in the program 
attending significantly more days of school per year than those not in 
the program. In addition, the Independence School District is reaching 
out to families, providing over 17,000 home visits by social workers in 
3 years, and running programs that result in 80 percent of children 
having contact with the school district before Kindergarten.
  The Independence School District is a model of community 
participation in our schools. Each school has a Site Council, bringing 
together parents, teachers, students, and community members to assess 
and address the needs of the school and the neighborhood. In turn, the 
schools actively give back to the community, providing countless 
volunteer hours. With the help of the Local Investment Commission, the 
Independence School District has created a web of partnerships between 
government, business, and families, with community schools at the 
center. These partnerships are renewing community involvement and 
participation.
  Madam Speaker, please join me on this wonderful occasion in 
congratulating the Independence School District; its dedicated staff, 
students and parents; its outstanding Superintendent, Dr. Jim Hinson, 
who recently received the distinguished 2007 Robert L. Pearce Award 
from the Missouri Association of School Administrators; and its superb 
Board of Education. Their hard work and unwavering commitment are a 
source of pride to the Fifth District of Missouri, and I urge my 
colleagues to join me in expressing sincere congratulations to the 
Independence School District for this remarkable achievement.

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