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Tag: national blue ribbon schools

  • Trump Administration Ends National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

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    This article was originally published in Chalkbeat.

    The Trump administration won’t be handing out any blue ribbons to schools this year.

    As President Donald Trump seeks to scale back the federal role in education in key respects, Education Department officials told state education agencies on Aug. 29 that they were ending the longstanding National Blue Ribbon Schools program, which honors high-performing schools and schools that have successfully narrowed academic gaps between student groups.

    Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the department, said in the letter that the move was “in the spirit of Returning Education to the States” — a common refrain from Education Secretary Linda McMahon as the Trump administration has slashed staff at the department and sought to reduce federal spending on education.

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    “State leaders are best positioned to recognize excellence in local schools based on educational achievements that align with their communities’ priorities for academic accomplishment and improvement,” Biedermann wrote. “Awards conceived by those closest to the communities and families served by local schools will do more to encourage meaningful reforms than a one-size-fits-all standard established by a distant bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.”

    The decision appears to have been made abruptly: States had already nominated schools for the award. In fact, the deadline for states to sign off on their picks was just one week prior to the cancellation letter. In some cases states had informed schools that they had won, pending the official federal announcement.

    The Alabama Daily News first reported the cancellation.

    The Blue Ribbon program’s goal is to highlight standout public and private schools and share best practices across the country. Winning the award typically brings positive attention and news coverage to schools, and is a badge of honor that can help attract new students, recruit teachers, and boost private fundraising.

    Biedermann said the department is still encouraging states to recognize the schools they nominated for the 2025 competition. But she added that states can now get creative and tailor their own recognition programs to celebrate exemplary schools in certain subjects, or focus on new areas, such as success in preparing students for the workforce and apprenticeships.

    Raven Hill, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Education, said the state is exploring next steps, but the pride that comes from national recognition won’t be easy to replace.

    “The schools that receive the Blue Ribbon recognition are our crown jewels,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how long ago a school was recognized, they carry that pride. We can revive our state program, but it would be difficult to replicate the prestige.”

    Terrel H. Bell, President Ronald Reagan’s first education secretary, created the Blue Ribbon program in 1982. Bell famously commissioned the study that became “A Nation At Risk,” which raised alarms about the quality of American education and spurred various reforms. Reagan also wanted to eliminate the Education Department at the time.

    There have been other attempts to get rid of the program, including in 1992 when Congress defunded the program, leading to the abrupt cancellation of the competition. Letters and phone calls poured into Congress, Education Week reported at the time, and funding was eventually restored.

    Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. 

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  • South Bronx Classical Charter School II Recognized as 2019 National Blue Ribbon School in First Year of Eligibility

    South Bronx Classical Charter School II Recognized as 2019 National Blue Ribbon School in First Year of Eligibility

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    Classical Charter Schools prepares students from the South Bronx to become liberated scholars of impeccable character

    Press Release
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    updated: Oct 29, 2019


    NEW YORK, October 29, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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    ​​South Bronx Classical Charter School II was one of 362 outstanding public and non-public schools recognized as 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The prestigious national program and annual award celebrate school excellence, turnaround stories, and the closing of achievement gaps.

    “I’m thrilled that South Bronx Classical Charter School II won the Blue Ribbon in its first year of eligibility,” said Classical Charter Schools Executive Director Lester Long. “Particularly gratifying is that we are listed as an Exemplary High Performing School, which indicates that our scholars are going beyond simply matching their more advantaged peers, but exceeding them.”

    Particularly gratifying is that we are listed as an Exemplary High Performing School, which indicates that our scholars are going beyond simply matching their more advantaged peers, but exceeding them.

    Lester Long, Executive Director

    Minority students from impoverished families benefit most from New York City’s charter schools, which offer strong academics and the prospect of upward mobility. Over 89% of Classical Charter School’s students live below the poverty line, and 98% are African-American or Hispanic.

    There is a palpable urgency and passion behind Classical’s mission to prepare scholars in the South Bronx to excel in college preparatory high schools. Benjamin Arabia, who sits on Classical’s Board of Trustees, noted, “We’re constantly striving to get better in every way. Our aim is to create replicable systems in all our schools that give our scholars the best opportunity to succeed.”

    South Bronx Classical Charter School II opened in August 2013 and prepares K-8th-grade students in the South Bronx to excel in college-preparatory high schools. Through a rigorous, classical curriculum and highly structured approach, students become liberated scholars and citizens of impeccable character who achieve proficiency in and advanced mastery of New York State Performance Standards. School II Director Leena Gyftopoulos stated, “I’m so proud for our school to be recognized. This honor highlights the hard work and dedication that our entire team has demonstrated over the past six years.”

    Gyftopoulos went on to say, “I attribute this achievement to the tireless work of our teachers, the constant leadership of our administrative team, and the tenacity of our scholars.” Charter schools like Classical provide a local high-quality public-school option to New York City’s students and put students first by leveraging the flexibility and autonomy of their charters to establish schools and create school cultures that are designed to serve the needs of the community.

    The U.S. Department of Education will honor the 312 public and 50 private schools at a formal recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C., this November.

    About Classical Charter Schools

    Classical Charter Schools is an award-winning charter school network founded in 2006 in our nation’s poorest congressional district to address the South Bronx’s stark inequality of access to education. For more information on Classical, visit classicalcharterschools.org.

    Media Contact: Amber Roussel, +1 (713) 530-0106

    Source: Classical Charter Schools

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