[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H14232-H14233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1830
    HONORING THE LIFE OF SALLY SMITH, FOUNDER OF THE LAB SCHOOL IN 
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, with great sadness, I come to the 
floor today to honor a great American by the name of Sally Smith who 
passed away just days ago.
  Sally Smith, during her time here amongst us, was a great American 
and left a footprint on this country in the area of education like no 
other in the past.
  Sally Smith ran and actually founded with her husband the Lab School 
of Washington. And for someone who has been not only involved in the 
Lab School, but has a daughter that attends the Lab School, I had an 
opportunity to learn more about Mrs. Sally Smith and what she did in 
the very early days at the Washington Lab School.
  Mrs. Smith and the faculty at the Lab School have done an excellent 
job in protecting and nurturing all of the young people with learning 
differences at the Lab School, here in Washington and in Baltimore.
  On Saturday, December 1, 2007, Mrs. Smith died at the age of 78. Born 
on May 7, 1929, Mrs. Smith was a native of

[[Page H14233]]

New York City and one of four daughters born to Isaac and Bertha 
Liberman. She graduated in 1950 from Bennington College and earned a 
master's degree in education from New York University in 1955.
  In 1976, Mrs. Smith became a professor in the School of Education at 
American University, where she led the master's degree program 
specializing in learning disabilities.
  Tonight, I ask Members of Congress to join me in honoring her life 
and the gifts that she bestowed upon the world of education. Mrs. 
Smith's empathy, experience, and creative expression prompted her to 
create the internationally acclaimed Lab School in Washington, D.C. in 
1967.
  The Lab School is one of the Nation's premier places for students 
with learning disabilities and an institution that uses arts as a 
central component to the school's education process. In fact, the Lab 
School students spend half of the day in highly specialized, 
individualized classrooms and offer the other half in the arts.
  Inspired by her pursuit to assure that her youngest son received a 
quality education, Mrs. Smith created a school designed to educate 
students diagnosed with one or more learning disabilities. Relying on 
her intuition and creativity, Mrs. Smith developed the ``academic 
method,'' which serves as the core of the Lab School's curriculum. The 
academic method is a nontraditional academic approach founded on the 
belief that a child's future to learn means that the teacher has not 
yet found a way to help him.
  Not only did her academic method lead to her youngest son's academic 
and professional success, but it has also left behind a gift that has 
enriched the lives of so many. Her great legacy will continue to live 
through the success of the current students and adults that attend the 
Lab School of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. In 
addition, her excellence will live on through her literary works, many 
of which have earned her recognition.
  Mrs. Smith was well accomplished in academia and also accomplished in 
awards, advisory board appointments, and was even highlighted by NBC's 
Today Show.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it's important that the Members understand that 
there are many Americans, including myself and including many others, 
that have been honored by the Lab School of Washington. Those of us 
that have learning disabilities, auditory processing, dyslexia, what 
have you, Mrs. Smith gave young people the inspiration and adults the 
inspiration to pursue beyond their disabilities. Those have been 
honored by the Lab School because Sally was a part of lifting the hopes 
and the dreams not only of the students but the parents, people like 
Magic Johnson, James Earl Jones, and also Danny Glover and Charles 
Schwab have been honored by the Lab School.
  We will miss Mrs. Smith, but we know that her legacy and memory will 
continue.

                          ____________________