[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 49 (Thursday, March 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MS. NORMA WRIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 27, 2014

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues Congresswoman 
Zoe Lofgren and Congressman Sam Farr to honor the life and 
contributions of our dear friend, Ms. Norma Wright, who recently passed 
away after a lifetime of serving her community.
  Norma Wright dedicated her life to improving education and was 
respected by all who knew her. She initially became involved in the 
education system while raising her three children: Bill, Beth, and 
Nancy. Her passion for educating the children in her life inspired her 
to return to college to gain a teaching credential. Upon earning her 
credential, she served as a special education teacher in Gilroy, CA, 
and then became a Social Studies teacher. Not long after, her 
innovative and effective teaching style made her the Community Schools 
Director for the district.
  After she married Mr. Kenneth D. Wright, she became more active in 
local politics and educational policy. For many years, both Norma and 
Kenneth were deeply involved in both the California Teachers 
Association and the National Education Association.
  Eventually, Ms. Wright returned to school to obtain her Master's 
Degree in Public Education. With her degree, she became the Social 
Studies Coordinator at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. 
During her tenure, she established the Youth at Risk Program, a program 
that was recognized and replicated statewide. Soon after, she was asked 
to become the Assistant Director of the Community Juvenile Justice 
Program.
  A few years later, Ms. Wright met two individuals who shaped the 
future of her career in education and politics. With Mr. Roy Erickson, 
she helped establish the Constitutional Rights Foundation's training 
programs. And with Mr. Chuck Quigley, she launched her career-long work 
with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Center for Civic Justice 
Education, and the Youth for Justice Network.
  In 1990, Ms. Wright left her position as the Social Studies 
Coordinator at the Santa Clara County Office of Education and became 
the Director of Justice Programs at the Center for Civic Education. In 
this capacity, Norma worked to influence education programs across the 
country to include civic education and high quality social studies 
programs. She also traveled internationally to share her ideas about 
democracy, justice, fairness, and equality. The California Council for 
the Social Studies honored her with the Roy Erickson Award for her 
work.
  Through her law-related education programs and work with the 
Constitutional Rights Foundation, Norma helped establish the Youth for 
Justice Network, a coordinated law-related education program that 
helped promote professional development through a consortium of the 
Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Public Education Division of the 
American Bar Association, Street Law, the Center for Civic Education, 
and the Constitutional Rights Foundation-Chicago.
  Her political activism and work to improve social studies programs in 
the Bay Area made her an asset to many of California's elected 
officials, including ourselves, Representatives Don Edwards and Lynn 
Woolsey, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and former 
U.S Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. Through her dedication 
to the promotion of civic education, she also forged relationships with 
several federal judges and state legislators.
  It is in thanks for, and in admiration of, Ms. Norma Wright's 
commitment to civic education that we offer these words today. We hope 
her commitment of public service continues to be an inspiration to the 
young people of generations to come. Thank you Norma, we will miss you.

                          ____________________