[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       UNION CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Union City 
Public Schools for their outstanding achievements.
  Having come to the United States from Cuba as a child, I experienced 
the challenges of assimilating into a new community firsthand. As the 
representative of one of our Nation's most diverse districts, many of 
my constituents experience these challenges every day. Giving 
immigrants the tools they need to succeed is not only beneficial to our 
country, it is sound policy.
  According to The Wall Street Journal, Union City Public Schools 
``have become a model for ushering low-income English-language learners 
into the mainstream.''
  With a student body that is 95 percent Hispanic, one of the keys to 
Union City Public Schools' success is their English as a second 
language program and their early childhood programming. The programming 
has become a model for educators in the U.S. and as far away as Europe. 
Graduation rates have also increased by nearly 10 percent, in just 2 
years, in the district.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a school district that has made 
tremendous strides in easing the transition of immigrant youth into our 
society and become the foundation of success for thousands of children 
and young adults.

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