[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 31 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E234-E235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING MS. KRISTY IMHOF AS THE 2017 ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA, 
                          TEACHER OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 26, 2016

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Kristy 
Imhof as the 2017 Escambia County, Florida, Teacher of the Year. For 
more than a decade, Ms. Imhof has inspired her students through an 
enthusiastic teaching style that allows students to engage with their 
learning materials, develop their skills, and reach their highest 
potential.
  Throughout her career as an educator, Ms. Imhof has exemplified many 
of the most important characteristics of a world-class educator. Upon 
graduating from Florida State University, Ms. Imhof began her teaching 
career at Emerald Coast Academy in Pensacola, developing a curriculum 
to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities, before 
joining the Escambia County School District as a seventh grade history 
teacher at Ransom Middle School in Pensacola. Ms. Imhof was at the 
forefront of educators integrating new technology into the teaching 
experience to help better engage her students to connect with our 
Nation's storied history, and during this time, she also led workshops 
with her fellow teachers to help them incorporate technology into their 
lesson plans.
  Thanks in large part to her success leading her fellow coworkers at 
Ransom, Ms. Imhof then joined an educational consulting company, 
CompassLeaming, where she was responsible for training teachers and 
administrators from Pensacola to Tallahassee on how to implement new 
plans to bring computers into the classroom and utilize the expanding 
array of educational software.
  Like many great teachers, Ms. Imhof is also deeply committed to 
serving and improving her local community, as evidenced by her time 
spent as an English literacy and civics teacher at Santa Rosa Adult 
School in Milton. In this capacity, she played an integral role in a 
new district program to improve academic achievement for students from 
non-English speaking homes, which included her simultaneously teaching 
civics lessons to non-English speaking parents, to better integrate 
them into the Northwest Florida community, and tutoring their children 
during school hours. In this capacity, Ms. Imhof consistently went 
above and beyond, conducting weekly home visits and serving as a 
liaison to bridge language and cultural gaps, thereby improving the 
educational experience, and as a result the academic achievements, of 
many Northwest Florida students.

[[Page E235]]

  In 2013, Ms. Imhof returned to Ransom Middle School, where she began 
her tenure in the Escambia County School District. In her current 
capacity as a seventh grade English teacher, Ms. Imhof strives to 
challenge and motivate her students to develop a passion for reading 
and language arts, while also focusing on how to translate their 
studies into real-world writing skills using extensive modeling and 
mentor texts. In addition to her success in the classroom, Ms. Imhof 
continues to be a leader amongst her peers, serving as a Mentor Teacher 
to help pass on the lessons she has learned to those entering the 
educational field. In addition, she also serves on the Interview 
Committee, is the Student of the Month Chairperson, Grade Level 
Treasurer, and Boxtops for Education Coordinator, while also serving 
the Ransom student body further as the Cross Country Club Sponsor and 
Assistant Track Coach.
  Teachers are amongst our Nation's most valuable public servants. Both 
in and out of the classroom, they help mentor their students and ensure 
that our next generation emerges ready to lead our Nation in the 
future. Ms. Imhof's assiduous work ethic, unbridled enthusiasm, 
creativity, and commitment to student engagement exemplify the 
characteristics of an extraordinary teacher, and her selection as the 
2017 Escambia County Teacher of the Year is a well-deserved reflection 
of her success and leadership in and out of the classroom.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged 
to recognize Ms. Kristy Imhof for her accomplishments and her 
continuing commitment to excellence at Ransom Middle School and in the 
Escambia County School District. My wife Vicki joins me in 
congratulating Ms. Imhof, and we wish her all the best for continued 
success.

                          ____________________