MANVEL, TX (KTRK) -- Among the dignitaries and guests on Tuesday night attending the State of the Union address by President Obama, is a principal from Manvel.
Charlotte Liptack talked with Eyewitness News last week before she left for Washington, D.C. She is the single invited guest of Congressman Pete Olson.
Olson and Liptack bonded after the death of her husband and son in a plane crash in 2014. Olson lost his first wife in a tragic car accident. He offered support, and they became friends. Her pain magnified months after her loved ones died, when three Manvel high seniors were killed in a car crash.
Liptack has been through so much, and folks here say to see her at the State of the Union, is testament to her character.
"It's a huge honor and im very proud of her," said Manvel High teacher Joann Karel.
Liptack admits she travels with an educational agenda. "Everything I do is about trying to make the world a better place for these kids," Liptack said.
She says public education is in need to reform. She believes in less standardized testing with a stronger focus on real learning. She tells me she will make that point to anyone in Washington who might listen.
"It's not about tests, or just about acquiring information ..but it's a learning experience that they can use to make the world a better place," said Liptack.
Before she left, Liptack gave students an assignment: watch the State of the Union, not to see her necessarily, but to hear what is being discussed.