It Starts At The Top

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K – 12 schools that are either academically superior in their state or that demonstrate gains in student achievement.

Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures and the characteristics known from research to epitomize school quality, the Department celebrates schools that beat the odds.

High poverty, tough neighborhoods, tight budgets, teacher turnover, assessment fatigue, high percentages of English language learners, teachers unprepared for their instructional duties-schools have identified many reasons over the decades to explain their failure to teach all students successfully. At the same time, communities, states, and the nation have raised the bar, and the stakes, for achievement.

With commitment, high energy, research-based knowledge of what works in schools, and the results of quality assessments, Blue Ribbon Schools have shown us the way over these and other hurdles.

E.R. Taylor is Designated as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2009

GG was elected by the Staff of E R. Taylor to join her Amazing Principal in representing and accepting this wonderful award. E.R. Taylor has improved it's enviroment and raised it's test scores in such incredible and dramatic fashion that they have been recognized.

Credit must go to the dedicated teachers and Room A staff, without whom these children wouldn't stand a chance. It is these same people who have given GG so much support and understanding that she has been given the chance to create an afterschool program that takes the most challenging students and encourages them to bigger and better thoughts and life.

Part of the children's afternoon is filled with classes long cut from the budget of an Inner City Public School. Cooking, Art, Guitar, Soccer, Poetry, Gardening, Kung Fu, everyday the students in her program have an hour of one of these Lost Influences, and they have an hour of homework, with one of these dedicated teachers working with the students.

I am very proud of her.

She woke up in Yosemite and went to bed in DC.
(and sent in these 1.3 megapic cell phone images)

"The longest bus tour ever. Tomorrow's the award ceremony."