[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1768]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF BARBARA BYRD BENNETT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of 
Barbara Byrd Bennett, upon the occasion of her retirement that follows 
seven years of steadfast service and commitment as Chief Executive 
Officer of the Cleveland Municipal School District.
  Ms. Bennett was born and raised in Harlem and was educated in the 
public school system. She graduated high school early at age 16 and 
earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in English from Long Island 
University at age 19. She earned two Masters degrees, was a Penn Fellow 
at Columbia University during her doctoral studies and holds several 
honorary doctoral degrees. Ms. Bennett was an adjunct professor at 
several New York City universities and is currently an adjunct faculty 
member at Cleveland State University.
  Her life long professional focus on improving the state of struggling 
urban school districts is evidenced throughout her profession. Her 
career in education began in her hometown of New York City, where she 
taught at the elementary and high school levels. She later served as a 
school principal and District Administrator and served twice as 
Superintendent of two of the lowest performing school districts in New 
York City, Chancellor's District and Crown Heights District in 
Brooklyn. Her leadership is credited with dramatically improving 
academic achievement in both of those districts.
  Ms. Bennett's tenure in Cleveland parallels that of her work in New 
York. Chosen as Superintendent of the Cleveland Municipal School 
District in 1998, she began the monumental task of lifting the 
Cleveland School District out of its decades-old state of failure and 
despair. During her tenure, Ms. Bennett implemented policies and 
programs that served to raise the grade throughout the system, 
including academic performance, financial stability and the restoration 
of school classrooms and buildings. Additionally, Ms. Bennett forged 
vital partnerships with parents, teachers and local and state leaders, 
thereby fostering an atmosphere of achievement and renewal through a 
unified effort.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honor and recognition of 
Superintendent Barbara Byrd Bennett, whose leadership, dedication and 
service on behalf of every child of the Cleveland Municipal School 
District has become a source of hope and foundation for academic 
achievement today, and for the future of public education in Cleveland. 
I wish Ms. Bennett and her family an abundance of health, peace and 
happiness as she journeys onward from here.

                          ____________________