[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9886-9887]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      TRIBUTE TO DR. DEBORAH ZYCH

 Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I wish to honor the remarkable 
service of the Polytech School District superintendent, Dr. Deborah 
Zych, and to recognize her commitment and service to the district. 
Throughout her career, Debbie has been an outstanding leader and 
innovative thinker, serving in many positions throughout Delaware's 
school districts. Her hard work, perseverance, and dedication will 
truly be missed by students, parents, and Delawareans up and down our 
State.
  Since 2011, Debbie has played an active and integral role within the 
Delaware Department of Education, the New Castle County School 
District, and the Polytech School District, serving as a teacher, 
administrator, director of curriculum, assistant superintendent, and 
superintendent. Throughout her time in Polytech School District, Debbie 
has been a major leader, instrumental in guiding POLYTECH through 
facility enhancements, the expansion of educational opportunities for 
students, as well as a marked growth in student certifications. She 
also played a significant role in establishing a more visible link 
between Polytech's highly recognized high school and adult education 
programs. I join the many Delawareans who have had the opportunity to 
work alongside Debbie, and we are truly grateful for all she has done 
to improve the lives of Delaware's youth and adults.
  In addition to ensuring that Kent County students got quality 
educations, I got to know Debbie through a lot of the work she and her 
staff did with manufacturers in Delaware and with their impressive 
apprenticeship programs they ran. She came down to a Democratic 
Steering and Outreach Committee meeting we hosted on workforce 
training, and last year, she hosted an event I helped organize on 
National Manufacturing Day. Debbie and her staff recognized that what 
manufacturers in Delaware needed was for the training to be done on the 
shop floor rather than in the school, and they have made dozens of 
companies stronger as a result. Under Debbie's leadership, Polytech 
School District also expanded the number of English language learners 
in Delaware.
  Beginning her career in Maryland, Debbie has always been an advocate 
for students, teachers, and the local community. She was committed to 
ensuring that each student--no matter their age--was equipped with the 
tools and skills necessary to go out into the world and take advantage 
of each opportunity that came their way.
  We cannot simply attribute Debbie's long service in Delaware's school 
systems to her hard work and advocacy,

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but also to her genuine passion for seeing each student and program 
participant excel. Her forward-thinking ability and insight into the 
value of incorporating all district resources has undoubtedly laid the 
foundation for helping all students succeed.
  Debbie's work has been nothing short of incredible, and I am 
sincerely grateful for all that she has done on behalf of the students 
and families across our State. It is my privilege to offer my sincerest 
congratulations on a job well done and wish her much success in her 
future endeavors at the University of Delaware where she will continue 
to serve Delaware in the UD Professional Development Center for 
Educators.

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