[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16907]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING DR. MICHAEL F. MURPHY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 12, 2013

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Michael F. 
Murphy, who will be retiring as superintendent of Clarke County Public 
Schools on June 30th, 2014. Dr. Murphy has served in this role since 
2008.
  I submit the following article from the Winchester Star, which is the 
text of Dr. Murphy's retirement announcement, delivered at a Clarke 
County School Board meeting on Monday, October 28th. [As reported by 
the Winchester Star on October 29, 2013]

                    Open Forum: `Incredible Journey'

       I will always remember the evening of June 12, 2008 . . .
       Marie and I, along with School Board Chairman Robina Rich 
     Bouffault and Interim Superintendent John Taylor, had just 
     finished dinner and dessert at V2 in Winchester. Robina 
     reached into her purse, presented me with an envelope, and 
     asked that I consider becoming the next superintendent of the 
     Clarke County Public Schools. She was more than ecstatic, and 
     I was honored, humbled, and, to be honest, just a little bit 
     surprised.
       Looking back, it has been an incredible journey. For last 
     five-plus years, I have been blessed to have worked with some 
     of the most outstanding individuals in the field of public 
     education. They are passionate, caring, and want the best for 
     each and every student. They are administrators, teachers, 
     technologists, instructional assistants, bus drivers, 
     custodians, secretaries and office managers.
       There are countless others who, while unnamed this evening, 
     provide the leadership and support to help Clarke County 
     Public Schools be one of the best-kept secrets in the 
     Commonwealth. Together, with the help of great parents and 
     guardians, they have nurtured and supported the children of 
     this community, built technology networks and schools, and 
     ensured that each and every student has had the best possible 
     education they could provide. Their list of accomplishments 
     is beyond reproach; I commend each and every one of them for 
     their service.
       Their voices may be quiet, but their hearts are big and 
     full of hope, energy, and enthusiasm. They are my champions. 
     They are the 99 percent. And they are the true leaders of 
     Clarke County.
       I would also like to take a moment to thank Janet Creager 
     Alger and Barbara P. Lee for their steadfast support and 
     encouragement. Janet is the only sitting School Board member 
     from the board that hired me, and Barbara joined soon after. 
     Thank you both for your unwavering leadership, service, and 
     support.
       As we go forward into November and start the Fiscal Year 
     2015 budget process, I would like to again share with our 
     community that we are one of only 36 school divisions in the 
     Commonwealth fully accredited; that we are proud of our 97.3 
     percent on time graduation rate, and that 75 percent of our 
     high-school graduates received an advanced diploma. We offer 
     International Baccalaureate and academic, athletic, music and 
     arts programs that are second to none. We support a host of 
     expanded opportunities for students of all ages, and our 
     applied behavior analysis program serves as a model for the 
     Commonwealth. Yes, we certainly have a lot to be proud of, 
     and this is just the short list . . .
       I would also like to share with our community that despite 
     Clarke County's substantial ability to pay for public 
     education, we are woefully underfunded and have been for 
     years. The fiscal and philosophical challenges we face today 
     are the same ones that Eleanor Smalley, Dennis Kellison, and 
     Wade Johnson also faced. I have talked to each of them, and 
     each has shared that, in one way or another, not much has 
     changed in the last 45 years. It is time to view the 
     education of our children as an investment, not as a burden.
       I believe that a community conversation about what is 
     really important to the citizens of Clarke is long overdue. 
     How we pay for and provide services to the young, the 
     disabled, the elderly and everyone in between is essential 
     for the future. And whether we like it or not, it should be a 
     conversation about family wage jobs, affordable housing, 
     economic development, and the creation of a sustainable 
     future, both on and off the farm. It is time to educate, 
     engage, and evolve like never before. This conversation is 
     long overdue, and won't happen unless we talk about it.
       I would also like to remind the residents of Berryville 
     that the Nov. 5 School Board election is not about Mike 
     Murphy. It is about electing a leader who will model the 
     values of honesty, integrity, and respect and who will put 
     the needs of children, all children, before the needs of the 
     plutocracy.
       As you can imagine, after serving for five-plus years in 
     ``the hot seat,'' the stories are many, and most of them are 
     not only unbelievable, but true. Serving in a community where 
     some consider the education of our children a burden has 
     indeed been a challenge.
       But despite the challenges, the anonymous bloggers, and 
     those who hide behind their keyboards twisting the truth with 
     every stroke, we have been more than successful. In fact, I 
     would say we have been victorious. Our legacy is all around 
     us, and they are 2,000 strong. They are the children of this 
     community, and they deserve the best we have to offer.
       In closing, let me remind our staff, and share with our 
     children and community, the three most important tools in 
     your tool box: your head, your heart, and your voice. Use 
     your heads to make decisions that embrace the future of an 
     exuberant Clarke County full of love, laughter, and life; use 
     your hearts to remember what our legacy is really all about, 
     and that is the children we love and nurture and send on to a 
     better tomorrow; and use your voices, loud and vibrant, to 
     stand up for what you believe. Above all else, believe in 
     compassion, social justice, and the hope for a better 
     tomorrow for our children. Not somewhere else, but here, in 
     beautiful Clarke County.
       Having rambled long enough, I would like to announce that 
     after 36 years of doing what I love, I'm ready for a change. 
     It is time to spend more time with my son, get to know my 
     three stepdaughters a little bit better, plant that long-
     awaited garden, start a few more bee hives, build the boat I 
     have always dreamed of, and finish reading the stack of books 
     on my night stand. The future belongs to those who create it, 
     and I have plans you can't even begin to imagine.
       Retirement beckons, and Marie and I are ready to begin the 
     next chapter in this wonderful life we share. We will do it 
     together, as husband and wife, best friends, and partners.
       As such, June 30, 2014, will be my last day as 
     Superintendent of Clarke County Public Schools.

                          ____________________