[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5088]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE RETIREMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT FOR CLOVIS UNIFIED SCHOOL 
                     DISTRICT, DR. WALTER L. BUSTER

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I recognize and pay tribute 
to Dr. Walter L. Buster, Superintendent of Clovis Unified School 
District in Clovis, CA as he prepares to retire.
  Dr. Buster has been in education for over 50 years, seventeen of 
those years as a school superintendent and the last 7 years as 
Superintendent for Clovis Unified School District. Dr. Buster is 
committed to educational excellence. He has taught all levels of 
school: elementary, junior high, high school and college, successfully 
serving many school districts in California and along the way has 
implemented visionary programs.
  In Clovis Unified, Dr. Buster implemented Class Size Reduction and 
Early Literacy Instruction in grades 1-3. In these grade levels, only 
20 students or fewer are enrolled in each class, thus giving the 
students a better ability to learn during these critical early years. 
Some of his most prized work in Clovis Unified School District has been 
in the following programs: Community of Readers, a program where 
volunteers in the community are trained to assist students with reading 
one hour each week; CHARACTER COUNTS, a program that teaches the six 
pillars of success--Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Caring, 
Citizenship and Trustworthiness; and Laptops for Learners, a program 
developed to assist 7th, 8th and 9th graders in classes where laptop 
computer are used as learning tools.
  Dr. Buster is truly a credit to the educational system. He has 
established as a standard a high level of integrity and decency. He is 
a man of great determination and dedication who has worked tirelessly 
to educate our children. I am honored to congratulate and pay tribute 
to him, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in wishing Dr. Walter 
L. Buster best wishes as he embarks on future endeavors.

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