[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8530]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    PAYING TRIBUTE TO JUDI D. STEELE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JON C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2007

  Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend Judi 
Steele, a dedicated educator, consultant, and advisor whose outstanding 
work in the classroom and throughout the community has motivated the 
Clark County School District to name an elementary school in her honor.
  Judi began her distinguished career as an educator in 1965 when she 
taught 5th and 6th grade at P.S. 171 in East Harlem, New York. In 1969, 
Ms. Steele began her long career with the Clark County School District 
as a teacher at C.V.T. Gilbert Prestige School. Throughout her career 
with the Clark County School District, Judi's work proved vital as she 
was integral to the implementation and the success of several 
educational programs designed to improve academic achievements and 
opportunities for students of all abilities.
  During her time with the Clark County School District, Judi served as 
an integration consultant with the Intergroup Education Department, 
team leader for Teacher Corps, the first teacher of CCSD's Academically 
Talented Program and coordinator of the district's first Child Find. 
Judi was also the director of the Special Education Programs and 
Services for the Clark County School District. Among her achievements 
in this capacity, Ms. Steele created and executed district-wide 
procedures and staff development activities for principals, teachers, 
parents, and special student services staff to allow these educators to 
better serve students. She also devised district-wide programs to cater 
to the specific needs and requirements of the visually, orally and 
emotionally handicapped, learning disabled and academically talented 
students.
  Judi also worked as the manager of the Officer of Development and 
Education Improvement for the Clark County School District while 
serving as the executive director of the Clark County Public Education 
Foundation, which is a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving 
the quality of Clark County's public schools. In 2001, Judi retired 
from the Clark County School District to become the president and chief 
professional officer of the Public Education Foundation. Under her 
guidance, the Foundation has raised approximately $40 million and has 
instituted numerous vital programs including: Clark County READS, the 
Interact Online Learning Community, and the Teacher Exchange.
  Judi's excellence in the field of education has gained widespread 
recognition as she has served on the board of the American Federation 
of Teachers and the National Education Association. She was also a 
member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 
the Council of Exceptional Children, the National Association of 
Elementary School Principals, the National Conference of Christians and 
Jews, the National Council of Administrative Women in Education, the 
Committee to Eliminate Racism in the Public Schools, and the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In Nevada, Judi has 
served on the board of directors of the Allied Arts Council, the 
National Alliance for Arts Education, the Nevada Association for the 
Handicapped, the Nevada Institute for Contemporary Arts, the New 
Horizon Academy, the Southern Nevada Administrative Women in Education, 
and the Summerlin Children's Forum.
  Today, Judi continues to actively serve the community as the founder 
and president of the Arts Council of Henderson. She also sits on the 
advisory councils of the Nevada Ballet Theatre, the Nevada Public 
Education Foundation, CLASS! Publications, and the Clark County School 
District's School Community Partnership Program. Judi's distinguished 
career has earned her numerous awards and honors including the James 
Stuart McPhee Memorial Intellectual Freedom Award, the Governor's Arts 
Recognition Award, the Community Leaders of America Award, and the City 
of Henderson Community Achievement Award.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my friend Judi Steele and her many 
achievements. Her dedication to the community is commendable and I wish 
Judi continued success in her future endeavors.

                          ____________________