Pelosi Congratulates San Francisco Blue Ribbon Schools

Pelosi Congratulates San Francisco Blue Ribbon Schools

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

San Francisco â€" House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi commended John Yehall Chin Elementary School and Yick Wo Alternative Elementary School for being named Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.

â€Å"The students, teachers, and staff at John Yehall Chin Elementary School and Yick Wo Alternative Elementary School worked hard to improve their test scores and overcame some difficult circumstances to do so,” Pelosi said. â€Å"These awards show how determined these students are to achieve, and they are to be commended. These students and students across the country would be able to do so much better if they were provided the proper resources.”

The Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans cut funding for No Child Left Behind by $40 billion this year. This is the fourth consecutive year during which funds were cut for the President’s federal education mandate.

â€Å"I am very proud of my staff, and most of all the students because they are really achieving in the classroom,” said Allen Lee, principal of John Yehall Chin.

â€Å"This is very good for the school and it really validates what teachers do,” said Darlene Lim, principal of Yick Wo.

Both San Francisco schools were commended to the Department of Education by the state of California due to their high number of disadvantaged students who dramatically improved their state test scores. Both schools were also recipients of the Title I Academic Achievement Award in May from the California Department of Education.

The Blue Ribbon Schools program highlights schools that significantly close the achievement gap or perform at high academic levels. This year, there were 295 Blue Ribbon Schools throughout the country.