[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 48 (Thursday, March 19, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E727-E728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        A TRIBUTE TO LORNA KHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS-

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 19, 2009

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Lorna Khan.
  Lorna Khan was born in Guyana in South America. She had her 
elementary and secondary school training in Guyana and migrated to the 
United States to pursue college

[[Page E728]]

education in January of 1973. She attended Andrews University in 
Berrien Springs Michigan where she graduated with a Bachelors Degree in 
Biology and minor in Chemistry in June of 1977. After graduation she 
attended New York University in September of 1977 to study Public 
Health with a focus on nutrition and alcoholism as well as 
international health. During her two years at New York University, she 
traveled to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, West Indies 
to study their health care system. During her time as a student she 
worked at Long Island College Hospital Alcoholism center and graduated 
with her Masters degree in June 1979.
  In December 1980, she joined the staff at the Brooklyn Jewish 
Hospital as data manager for the Oncology department. She supported the 
Oncologists and Hematologists in their investigative trials of 
experimental drugs in the hopes of finding a cure for cancer. In 1982 
she applied for and was hired as a data coordinator for cancer research 
at the Montefiore Medical Center. The team of doctors, pharmacists, 
drug company representatives joined with researchers to look closely at 
experimental drugs and trying to find a cure for many cancers such as 
lung, ovarian, breast, cervical, lymphomas and leukemia to name a few.
  In October 1984 she joined the Department of Health as a Health 
Coordinator in Middle School 35 in Brooklyn. Her focus was on 
adolescent health issues in particular, pregnancy prevention, nutrition 
education, health referrals and management and suicide prevention. She 
received training in AIDS education and worked closely with teachers to 
promote healthy living by junior high school students. After feeling 
the need to make a greater impact on the education of the young, she 
began a career with the Department of Education in 1987 as an 
elementary school teacher at PS 250 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. After 2 
years she accepted a call to return to middle school this time as a 
mathematics teacher at IS 33, Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. For the 
next 13 years she worked as a mathematics teacher, academic 
intervention teacher and staff developer.
  In 2002 she became the Assistant Principal for mathematics at MS 88 
in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The school had just been identified as a SURR 
school (School Under Registration Review) for below performance 
literacy and mathematics. She worked with three other Assistant 
Principals to change the culture of the school and support high 
expectations for teaching and learning. In the fall of 2004 the school 
had improved students' performance in both literacy and mathematics and 
was removed from the SURR list. This was celebrated in a press release 
done by the Mayor and Chancellor at the school. In February of 2005 she 
was recruited to be the Principal for the Samuel C. Barnes Elementary 
School, PS 54. After being in middle school for most of her career, she 
was hesitant to take on the responsibility as Principal for an 
elementary school. However, with much prayer and thoughtfulness she 
accepted the challenge and has been working to bring change to her 
community. Her goal is to promote an environment where everyone is 
valued and respected.
  It has been a fulfilling time for her as a teacher and administrator 
and she will continue to do her best to support high levels of teaching 
and learning for students at this level.

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