[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9957]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JUDITH BOBBITT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2006

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
community leader, Mrs. Judith Bobbitt, Somerton Elementary School 
District's Superintendent. She will retire this year from a lifetime 
commitment to education as a school administrator.
  Mrs. Bobbitt's dedication to serving students and encouraging them to 
become contributing citizens of the State of Arizona and our great 
nation is remarkable. She has worked in public education for more than 
40 years and has served as an instructional leader and role model to 
hundreds of teachers and school administrators. Her leadership style is 
admired by many. She has led efforts to reform public education so 
every child has an equal opportunity and equal environment to maximize 
learning.
  Mrs. Bobbitt led Somerton Elementary School District through an 
explosive growth in a diverse district where 95 percent of students are 
first generation Americans of Mexican descent and three percent are 
members of the Cocopah Nation. Her efforts to improve the State's 
funding of school construction frequently found her testifying at the 
Arizona State Legislature addressing equity issues.
  She established and founded the South Yuma County Adult Education 
Consortium and made the Somerton District a leader in Adult Literacy. 
Under her leadership, she developed the Migrant Even Start Program in 
Somerton and worked with numerous community-based agencies to promote 
lifelong learning.
  Mrs. Bobbitt was appointed the 2000 National Chair of the Interstate 
Migrant Council and was recognized as All Arizona Superintendent of the 
Year for Mid-Sized Districts in 1998.
  The integrity with which she leads was acknowledged by her 
appointments as a Public Board Member for the Arizona Bar Foundation, 
Puentes de Amistad, and Somerton Boys and Girls Club. In addition, she 
was elected President of the Yuma County Education Foundation, 
Somerton's Rotary Club, and Yuma County's School District Association.
  Mrs. Bobbitt has demonstrated great leadership and thousands of 
students are now beneficiaries of her vision of equality and personal 
best.
  I would like to personally commend Mrs. Judith Bobbitt for her 
tireless commitment to our community. Her life and work is an 
inspiration to us all.

                          ____________________