[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25753]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS SHERARD

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Phyllis Sherard for her 
dedication to educating our youth and strengthening our community.
  One of the best kept secrets about Phyllis is that she was actually 
born in Norfolk, Virginia, arriving in New York via North Carolina at 
the age of four. In spite of this, she boastfully claims to be an 
authentic product of Brooklyn, having resided in this wonderful borough 
of New York all of her life.
  As the eldest of six siblings, her parents instilled values and 
traits in her that have become her trademarks. Many people describe her 
as a born leader who is capable, responsible, compassionate, 
dependable, and motivational. No matter how high or wide the obstacles, 
Phyllis' attitude is always, ``We can handle it!''
  In 1985, Phyllis joined the NYC Board of Education. She always wanted 
to teach but was encouraged to pursue commercial studies while in high 
school. However, through her experiences, she realized how important it 
is to get involved in the education of our children. Following the path 
that she now says was her destiny, she joined the staff of Project 17--
the Drug Prevention Education Program in Community School District 17. 
Initially, she had second thoughts about the position because she had 
to take a cut in pay. That was 20 years ago and needless to say, it has 
been the most fulfilling work of her life. The position opened doors 
for Phyllis to work with thousands of children, directing, intervening, 
and changing paths for so many children and their parents. Because of 
her ability and commitment, she was selected to serve as the Special 
Assistant to the Superintendent for Parent Involvement.
  Phyllis is most proud of implementing The First Clergy Conference, a 
series of Saturday African American Studies for parents, The Cultural 
Awareness Summer Program for children, the Christmas Toy Drive, Family 
Literacy Program, Computer Literacy for Parents, youth conferences, and 
a general equivalency program for young mothers, as well as working 
with parents to coordinate the first math, science, & technology parent 
conference. She currently directs drug prevention education programs 
for Region Six, which is comprised of 109 schools. This has been the 
most challenging experience for her. She has also implemented an 
evening counseling program for at-risk students and their families.
  Phyllis is a graduate of Long Island University, where she earned a 
B.A. in Political Science and a Masters degree in Supervision and 
Administration. She is the proud mother of Darryn and Jade-Lynn and the 
proud grandmother of grandson, Darryn Scott.
  Mr. Speaker, Phyllis Sherard has been instrumental in strengthening 
the educational experience for children in our community. As such, she 
is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today, and I urge my 
colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

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