[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11154]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RETIREMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT JAMES McCANN

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am honored to recognize James McCann, a 
tireless and dynamic educator, on his retirement after 40 years of 
service in Michigan. For 20 years, Jim has served as district 
superintendent of the Lamphere School District with unparalleled 
leadership and vision. His efforts have led to numerous opportunities 
for his teachers, staff, students, and their families, as well as 
others across Michigan, and have earned the Lamphere School District 
many awards and achievements over the years. I know I join many in 
Michigan in congratulating him on a stellar career that has spanned 
decades and has inspired generations of students to strive for 
excellence.
  After earning a teaching degree from Eastern Michigan University and 
a master's degree in educational administration from the University of 
Michigan, Mr. McCann has focused his efforts in southeast Michigan. He 
began as an educator with the Archdiocese of Detroit. Five years later, 
he accepted a position with the Lamphere Schools. During his tenure 
with the Lamphere Schools, he served as an administrative assistant, 
assistant principal, and a principal at various schools in the 
district, and in 1986, he was named the district superintendent.
  Jim's passion for integrating technology into the classroom has 
earned him national recognition, and I am familiar with Jim's energetic 
and passionate approach to educating young people. I have been 
privileged to work with Jim on an effort to enhance learning across 
Michigan, and that project has benefited greatly from his innovation 
and enthusiasm.
  In 1982, Jim attended a summer institute at Harvard University that 
emphasized the importance of using technology to teach multiple 
learning styles. Recognizing an urgent need to train teachers and staff 
in the district in computer networking, programming and software use, 
he developed an innovative plan to install cable and wiring in 
classrooms and to provide a 2-week training program for his teachers. 
This innovative approach led to Lamphere being the first district in 
Michigan to have Internet access in the classroom, which occured in 
1992.
  Jim has been the chairman of the Oakland County Superintendents' 
Committee for Instructional Technology since 1992 and through this 
position has helped to improve and advance the use of educational 
technology in schools throughout Oakland County. In 1996, he was 
instrumental in bringing the JASON Project to Michigan. This effort 
established the Lamphere School District as a JASON Project Primary 
Interactive Network site for Michigan. As host for JASON, Lamphere 
Schools helped thousands of Michigan students experience exciting 
scientific adventures. In 2001, Mr. McCann received the first-ever 
``Tech-Savvy Superintendent Award'' for his leadership and vision in 
the area of educational technology, one of only 10 educators nationwide 
to earn this distinction by ``eSchoolNews.''
  I know my Senate colleagues join me in congratulating James McCann on 
his retirement. I am proud to recognize his contributions to education 
and the indelible mark he has made in teaching with technology in 
Michigan. I wish him and his family many more years of good health and 
happiness.

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