April 18, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 66 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF KIM FRANKSON, JESS JOHNSON, AND LAURIE ORTEL OF 
                        ASHLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. VAN TAYLOR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2019

  Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I rise alongside Rep. Michael Burgess and 
Rep. Ben Cline to honor Kim Frankson, Jess Johnson, and Laurie Ortel of 
Ashley Elementary School in the Frisco Independent School District. At 
the end of last year, these North Texas school administrators used 
quick thinking and teamwork to help save a life 1,200 miles away.
  In December 2018, Ashley Elementary School principal Kim Frankson, 
assistant principal Laurie Ortel, and counselor Jess Johnson received a 
concerning message from a student via the STOPit app, an online 
platform designed to allow students and parents to send anonymous 
reports of bullying to school officials.
  The North Texas educators soon discovered that the student was in 
Waynesboro, Virginia--more than 1,000 miles from Frisco--and sprang 
into action. As Laurie Ortel said in an interview with the Dallas 
Morning News: ``We didn't know her, but in that moment, she became 
ours.''
  In spite of the distance, Jess Johnson began communicating with the 
student, who was threatening suicide, on the STOPit app. At the same 
time, Kim Frankson and Laurie Ortel attempted to contact the Waynesboro 
Police Department and administrators at the student's school, which 
already had closed for winter break. Thanks to the efforts of the North 
Texas teachers, local authorities in Virginia were able to locate the 
endangered teenager and provide lifesaving assistance.
  Thankfully, the student's message for help reached the right people.
  On February 14, 2019, the Dallas Morning News published an article 
telling their story. In recognition of their lifesaving efforts, Kim 
Frankson, Laurie Ortel, and Jess Johnson were honored at the Frisco ISD 
board meeting on April 8, 2019. They were presented the inaugural 
Helping Hands Life Saver Award from the makers of the STOPit mobile 
app, and have received well-earned praise from Americans in North 
Texas, Virginia, and around the country.
  As Members of Congress representing Frisco, Texas and Waynesboro, 
Virginia, we extend our sincere gratitude to these North Texas 
educators for their extraordinary work and dedication. There is no 
doubt that they have touched the lives of students in Frisco, 
Waynesboro, and beyond.