[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      TRIBUTE TO NORM KIRSCHENBAUM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GRACE F. NAPOLITANO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2001

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of 
California's prominent educators and public servants, Mr. Norm 
Kirschenbaum, who will retire on August 2nd after 39 years of dedicated 
service to his community.
  For the past four decades, Mr. Kirschenbaum has been an integral part 
of the district's public school system. Involved in the educational 
process at nearly every level, Mr. Kirschenbaurn has served as a 
classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, educational 
director, and assistant superintendent before being asked to head the 
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District in 1999. His advancement 
through the ranks is most certainly deserved. Under his leadership, the 
district has achieved tremendous growth in the student Academic 
Performance Index. In addition, because of his unfailing dedication, 
the district has seen an increase in number of schools receiving 
California Distinguished School accreditation and has achieved a 
balanced budget.
  In his many roles as educational coordinator, Mr. Kirschenbaum has 
worked tirelessly to improve management. An acknowledged trainee in 
Stephen Covey's ``Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'', Mr. 
Kirschenbaum started a district-wide program to train administrators, 
teachers, and support staff using the Covey model.
  Mr. Kirschenbaum's achievements extend far beyond the district. 
Throughout the years, he has served on several state educational 
committees. In that capacity, Mr. Kirschenbaum helped to pioneer 
California's groundbreaking Holocaust and Genocide Framework. As a 
member of those committees, he worked to establish a foundation for 
effective year-round education. His extensive accomplishments in this 
area were sufficient to garner national recognition.
  Perhaps the most amazing thing about Mr. Kirschenbaum is that, 
despite his many accomplishments, he remains humble. In a recent 
meeting of school officials, Mr. Kirschenbaurn acknowledged the 
importance of working cooperatively in education and noted his delight 
in doing his part. ``All this'', he said, ``could only have been 
possible through a team effort on the part of our entire school 
community. Our primary mission of raising student achievement in an 
environment that values the importance of relationship building and 
becoming more client focused has made the difference. I'm proud to have 
had a part in shaping this direction for our district.''
  Mr. Speaker, today I would like to personally commend Norm for his 
dedication to the students of Hacienda La Puente Unified School and the 
greater Southern California educational system. He is a model of the 
passionate American educator and devoted citizen. I know the rest of 
the House will join me in congratulating Norm and wishing him the best 
of luck in his retirement.

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