King Elementary Named National Blue Ribbon School

Ann Arbor Public School’s King Elementary School

Named A National Blue Ribbon School for 2014

 September 30, 2014

Dr. Jeanice K. Swift, Superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, is pleased to announce that Martin Luther King Elementary School in the Ann Arbor district has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2014.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today that King Elementary is one of 337 schools nationally that have been recognized for their overall academic excellence and progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups as measured by their performance on state assessments. King School has demonstrated that all students can achieve at high levels. King is one of only 8 schools in Michigan selected for this honor.

“We are very honored that the great work at King, led by current Principal Mary Cooper and recently retired Principal Kathy Morhous, has been recognized with this prestigious national award,” said Dr. Swift. “This is the first time an Ann Arbor Public School has been honored with the national Blue Ribbon award and we are extremely proud of the staff, students, parents and all the community members who support King Elementary School.”

 

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has honored over 7,900 schools across America over its 32-year history. “These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education – that all students, no matter their name or zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments,” said Secretary Duncan.

King’s information profile is available at this link:

http://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/14mi106pu_martin_luther_king_jr_elementary_school.html

“We are the King Dreamkeepers; keeping the dream alive everyday,” said King Principal Mary Cooper. “We follow the Lifelong Guidelines and life skills, which provides a common language that supports high expectations for learning, and sets the stage for a safe and learner-friendly environment. We teach and reinforce these skills daily during Morning Meetings and teachable moments. We are so honored with this national recognition.”

 

King Elementary is a diverse school of 47% Asian, 38% Caucasian, and 15% of students who represent a mixture of several other cultural groups. King’s International Night showcases their diversity and serves as an expression of their collective stories, but it is not the only tradition that highlights King school students and staff and their values as global citizens. King’s tradition of respect for their school namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – and his philosophy that all people count, all people matter – permeates the daily lives of the staff and students who attend and work in this school.

The King community will be honored at a ceremony in Washington DC, on November 10-11 that will include networking sessions for educators, presenters and a recognition luncheon.

Ann Arbor Public Schools will host an award ceremony and reception this fall to honor this national accomplishment for King Elementary School as the first Ann Arbor Public School to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, 2014. More information will be released about this event over the coming days.

Congratulations to the King Elementary staff, students and families!