[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12063-12064]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING DR. PAUL PRIESZ OF CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2002

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Paul 
Priesz, Principal of Valencia High School which is located in the

[[Page 12064]]

Santa Clarita Valley. Recently, the Association of California School 
Administrators named him the top secondary principal in the state of 
California.
  As June comes to an end and the school year closes, it is a fitting 
time to reflect upon the capable leadership of Dr. Priesz. He was 
assigned the formidable responsibility of planning and opening a new 
high school and has been the guiding influence at Valencia High School 
since it opened in 1993. Today, the school is one of the premier high 
schools in Los Angeles County.
  High school administration requires many qualities--including vision, 
dedication, patience, strength, energy, creativity, the competence to 
balance an impossibly busy schedule, a willingness to allow people to 
experiment, the expertise to support a wide variety of school programs 
and reforms, and the ability to understand the complexity of teens for 
whom each day presents a new crisis. Possessing all of the traits, Dr. 
Priesz is an exemplary high school principal.
  A dynamic educator who is committed to educational quality and 
academic excellence, Dr. Priesz has developed programs to meet the 
scholastic and social needs of all students. He gives abundant support 
to the handicapped and underrepresented population and avidly endorses 
extra-curricular programs to foster student growth and achievement. 
``What is best for kids'' is the guiding doctrine for all decisions 
made at Valencia High School.
  Dr. Priesz is a dedicated leader who believes in his staff and 
students. He manages school programs by focusing attention on the 
importance of building collaborative relationships yet at the same time 
allowing everyone the creative freedom needed to accomplish their job. 
Dr. Priesz asks nothing of his staff that he is not willing to do 
himself, and he continually displays a sincere, caring demeanor. He is 
highly supportive of professional development and school reform 
initiatives in order to perpetuate a vigorous learning environment.
  Mr. Speaker, Valencia High School is fortunate to have such an 
extraordinary principal. I want to thank Dr. Paul Priesz for his 
leadership, inspiration and high standards. He has made a positive 
impact on thousands of students. In turn, Dr. Priesz is making our 
great nation a better place to live.

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