[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11089-11090]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     HONORING DR. JACK R. ANDERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2001

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and remember Dr. Jack R. 
Anderson, our nationally honored superintendent of schools in East 
Ramapo, New York, who recently passed away.
  Hailed by his peers as ``The last of the giants in public 
education,'' Dr. Anderson served the children and community of East 
Ramapo for more than 20 years with dignity and dedication.
  Dr. Jack Anderson arrived in East Ramapo in 1977 and breathed new 
life into a troubled school system. During his tenure, he restored 
sound fiscal footing to our school district, promoted the importance of 
technology as a central focus of our students' education, and played a 
key role in the passage of a $22 million bond, which enabled East 
Ramapo to move forward with plans to maintain the schools' 
infrastructure and upgrade the educational program.
  Superintendent Anderson led a districtwide grade reorganization, 
reinvigorated our teachers and staff through his support for 
educational innovation, and, due to his fiscal fortitude, the school 
district received the highest credit ratings from financial agencies.
  Our 1994 ``New York State Superintendent of the Year.'' Dr. Jack 
Anderson brought national recognition and attention to East Ramapo and 
our school district. His ``Vision for the Future'' Program in the area 
of computer education became the model for schools around the country 
and he established one of the first federally-funded teachers' centers 
in New York.
  Dr. Anderson also served as chairman of the American Association of 
School Administrators' Federal Policy and Legislation Committee, as 
president of the Mid- and Lower-Hudson School Study Councils and 
Rockland Superintendents Association.

[[Page 11090]]

  The vision, leadership, and caring spirit of Jack Anderson will be 
sorely missed not only by our East Ramapo community, but by thousands 
of students and parents throughout Rockland County.
  Author Horace Mann once wrote, ``The common school, improved and 
energized as it can easily be, may become the most effective and 
benignant of all the forces of civilization.'' Thanks to Jack Anderson, 
our East Ramapo schools are improved and energized, and it is our 
children, the future of our Nation, who have benefitted.

                          ____________________