[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 79 (Friday, May 7, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CAMILLE CASTEEL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREG STANTON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 7, 2021

  Mr. STANTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the legacy of Chandler 
Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Camille Casteel, who is 
retiring after 50 years of service. During her tenure, she touched the 
lives of hundreds of thousands of students. As a teacher, 
administrator, and superintendent, Dr. Casteel has been a pillar of our 
community and a one-of-a-kind leader. She devoted her professional life 
to ensuring that every student who walks the halls of a Chandler school 
is provided a quality, equitable, and impactful education--and our 
entire state is better today because of her leadership.
  A native Arizonan, Dr. Casteel spent her entire career advocating for 
her students. In 1971, she started as a first-grade teacher when 
Chandler--mostly a community a farms and ranches-was home to just seven 
small schools with no air conditioning. Casteel spent the next five 
decades with CUSD, including 25 years as the district's Superintendent, 
and under her leadership, CUSD became one of the largest districts in 
the state. There, Dr. Casteel oversaw the development of 30 new schools 
to serve the more than 46,000 students who attend Chandler schools 
every day.
  For 50 years, Dr. Casteel has remained a trailblazer in the Chandler 
community. She has fought to ensure her students and staff have the 
tools and resources they need to be successful in the classroom and a 
safe and caring place to learn. She developed innovative solutions for 
the challenges that inevitably come with a rapidly growing community 
and school district-and most recently, she led CUSD through the 
unprecedented challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Her kindness, compassion, and commitment to excellence will be felt 
by future generations who pass through the Chandler Unified School 
District. Because of Dr. Casteel, Chandler's students will continue to 
receive a comprehensive, quality education that prepares them for 
ventures beyond their school days.
  Arizona owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Casteel. Her devotion to 
strengthening our community's public education system will be felt long 
after her retirement. In this spirit of gratitude, I rise today to 
honor the esteemed career of Dr. Camille Casteel and wish her the best 
in wherever life takes her next.

                          ____________________