Robert Edward Abbott

Before retiring from Waukegan Pubic Schools, Mr. Abbott was the Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Personnel.  His responsibilities were to see that Federal and State laws were implemented for the children with disabilities.  Mr. Abbott started many programs for special education children in Waukegan.  He started a teacher material center in this school and helped design a wing for special education children.  Getting to see kids become contributing citizens is happiness for him.  On account of Mr. Abbott doing so much to help others, he is an inspiring man to be our school's namesake.

The following remarks were made by Hon. John Edward Potter to the U.S. House of Representatives in October of 1992.

• Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Robert E. Abbott, who is retiring this year after 23 years of outstanding service as an educator in Waukegan, IL School District 60. Throughout his career, Mr. Abbott has distinguished himself as a national leader in providing education services for children with special needs.

• After receiving his bachelor in arts degree in special education and masters in arts in school administration from Illinois State University, Mr. Abbott joined the Waukegan School System as a special education teacher and rose to become the associate superintendent for special education and pupil personnel services. He has consistently brought distinction to Waukegan and Illinois through his numerous lectures, speeches, and publications. In honor of his extraordinary work to initiate programs for the preschool disabled, bilingual disabled, and other students with special needs, prior to his retirement the Waukegan School Board renamed its West School as the Robert E. Abbott Middle School.

• Robert Abbott has been a leading member of the Council for Exceptional Children [CEC], an international professional organization of 65,000 members, and he is a past president of the Illinois Council For Exceptional Children and the Illinois Division for Learning Disabilities. This past year, he was selected to receive the `Outstanding Contributor to Special Education' Award given by the National CEC, and was also named the 1991 `Citizen of the Year' by the Northeastern Chapter of the American Business Women's Association.

• In addition, Mr. Abbott was a delegate to the White House Conference on Handicapped Children and Youth in 1977. He is currently an advisor on the attention deficit disability issues confronting Congress, and serves on a State task force reviewing the education delivery systems for children with handicaps.

• Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to represent a congressional district that includes individuals like Robert Abbott. He has dedicated his professional life to improving educational services for children with special needs and leading the way for teachers and administrators in his field. Robert Abbott's exemplary contributions to special education will be his enduring legacy and will serve as a touchstone for all those who strive for excellence in education.