[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING CHRIS BROWN

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out 
of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from Utah 
is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, Aristotle once said that, ``All who 
have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that 
the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.''
  Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor one of those responsible for 
educating the next generation of Americans. His name is Chris Brown, 
who is a principal of Corinne Elementary School in Box Elder County, 
Utah. Chris is a 2006 recipient of the Huntsman Award for Excellence in 
Education.
  Now in its 14th year, this award was created by one of Utah's 
businessmen to honor his father who was a teacher. It nominates up to 
500 teachers every year. The winner is chosen by a panel of their 
peers, as well as business and community leaders. They are remarkable 
people.
  Chris Brown originally planned on getting an MBA, but his wife 
encouraged him to become an educator, and as she said, he ``just fell 
in love with it.'' He earned a bachelor of arts and bachelor of science 
degree from Utah State, and then he taught social studies at Bear River 
Middle School for 6 years before going on to become a principal now at 
his fourth elementary school.

                              {time}  1545

  Chris's focus has been on the students, and it goes beyond the school 
grounds. Every summer he visits every student who attends Corinne 
Elementary School to understand their home environment, to reach a 
friendship with their families, as well as to set goals for the 
upcoming year. He works hard to ensure that children from all walks of 
life are provided with the best educational experience.
  Chris's wife Sharon, who is also an elementary school principal, 
says, that to Chris, everything about his job is being with the 
students. He feels an administrative position should give him time to 
be closer to students. He is in the classroom every day. He teaches 
social skills to his students every year. He leaves home between 4 and 
5 in the morning, very seldom gets back before 7 at night, unless his 
wife creates some kind of fit, and he goes to work early and stays late 
so that he can do his administrative duties at that time and has time 
for the kids during the day.
  He is kind of leader who is always trying to find some kind of 
positive interaction with his students. He sees them in the classroom 
often. He believes if the students see him in the classroom, they will 
know what they are doing is important. Every Monday and Tuesday he is 
in the classroom visiting every one of them, teaching social skills 
that would be expected of them.
  On Wednesdays he meets with the teachers and the literary teams 
discussing each student's needs. He wants them to know how to read and 
gives teachers and aides ideas that fit into the student's ability, not 
some one-size-fits-all program. On Friday the students come to Chris's 
office to pass off their spelling words so that they have a positive 
interaction with the principal.
  Mr. Brown makes sure that everyone stays focused on the most 
important issue, which is the kids. When a growing class size met his 
school and was problematic, he reduced the number by creating an 
additional third class which he himself taught.
  At his current school he can be seen on the playground kicking soccer 
balls with his students at recess. In fact, one parent said, the whole 
second grade lives for PE with Mr. Brown. She overheard her son Daniel 
tell a home-schooled neighbor, ``You have to go back to school so you 
can have PE with Mr. Brown.''
  Chris and his wife Sharon were both brilliant, student-oriented 
classroom teachers. I know, I team-taught with Sharon. They both have 
taken the same commitment to kids to the dark side of administration. 
Chris Brown has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Each student 
under his care knows that he truly cares about them and that he values 
them.
  His commitment to the students demonstrates the quality of leader and 
teacher that he is. It is right that he has been recognized with this 
award by his peers, because he does education right. And, besides, 
Chris Brown still did the best audience belly dance we ever had at our 
Renaissance Festival.
  It is an honor to recognize Mr. Brown. It is an honor to present him 
to you as someone who does his job in education right.

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