[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 25, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E230-E231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING MARY SIMON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 2014

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of myself and 
Representatives Honda, Eshoo, and Speier to recognize the service of 
Ms. Mary Simon to San Jose and the Bay Area community.
   Ms. Simon, the founder and executive director of Resource Area for 
Teaching (RAFT), will retire in the spring of 2014 after 20 years at 
its helm. She will greatly be missed.
   After 12 years of teaching math and science to second and third 
graders, Ms. Simon founded RAFT in 1994 with a mission to help teachers 
transform children's learning experience through hands-on education. 
RAFT is a nonprofit organization that provides educators with prepared 
teaching kits and idea sheets for activities in mathematics, science, 
and art. Additionally, RAFT helps teachers access education specialists 
who can assist with planning lessons and projects as well as locate 
affordable teaching supplies.
   Ms. Simon's remarkable vision had been to create a place that 
celebrates and supports great teaching. Through her hard work, Ms. 
Simon was able to bring together countless volunteers, donors, and 
companies to collaborate in this effort. Under her leadership, 
thousands of teachers joined RAFT to improve the quality of education 
in the Bay Area.
   Under Ms. Simon's guidance, RAFT became an important resource for 
educators and continues to foster community involvement. With Ms. 
Simon's effort and unwavering commitment, RAFT grew into a 10,000-
member organization and continues to enrich the education experience of 
hundreds of thousands of students. RAFT's products, services, and

[[Page E231]]

teaching supplies improve the educational experience of over 825,000 
kids per year.
   We wish to congratulate Ms. Mary Simon on her impressive and 
impactful career and commend her years of service to the San Jose and 
the Bay Area community generally. Continued efforts and innovation in 
education of generations to come must be one of our top priorities as a 
nation, and Ms. Simon's efforts in this area are invaluable.
   Ms. Simon worked to create a place where teachers could come 
together for the support and respect for the important, essential work 
that they do for our children. Because of Ms. Simon's vision, 
creativity, and dedication, RAFT will continue to make a positive 
impact on our educators and students. Ms. Simon's service has made our 
community a better place, and she will be dearly missed.

                          ____________________