[CharterSchools] Benjamin Franklin High School Proud to Be Named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School

[charterschools at LACharter.org]

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

            CONTACT: Eve Peyton ’98      (504) 503-0062         epeyton at bfhsla.org
 or
 U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications & Outreach, Press Office 400 Maryland Ave. SW Washington, DC 20202 (202) 401-1576press at ed.gov
 Benjamin Franklin High School Proud to Be Named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School
 NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 21, 2021) – U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona todayrecognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, including BenjaminFranklin High School. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academicperformance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. SecretaryCardona will make the announcement during his Return to School Road Trip, where he willvisit an awardee school, Walter R. Sundling Jr. High School, in Palatine, Ill.
 “This year’s cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educatorsand school leaders create vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school cultures where richteaching and learning can flourish,” said Secretary Cardona. “I commend this school and allour Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting theiracademic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. In the face of unprecedentedcircumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children.Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools andcommunities so that we can truly build back better.”
 The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators,families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students masterchallenging and engaging content. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon SchoolsProgram has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.
       “We are honored to be chosen as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School,” said Head ofSchool Dr. Patrick Widhalm. “Although we have won this award four times previously,somehow this time is especially meaningful given the challenging circumstances we havenavigated over the past two years. In order to be meaningful, a tradition of excellence mustbe renewed for each generation of students. Congratulations to the outstanding faculty,staff, and students and thank you to parents and alumni. ” 
The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on allstudent scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:    
   -  Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performingschools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
   -  Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highestperforming schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groupsand all students.    

Benjamin Franklin was chosen as an Exemplary High-Performing School and recognized for its diverse student body, commitment to academic rigor, and innovative student-led solutions.

“We are delighted to celebrate this achievement,” said Alea Cot, the president of Advocates for Academic Excellence in Education, the school’s governing board. “We are consistently impressed by the hard work and dedication of our students and faculty and staff. Even in a year unlike any other, our school community met every challenge they faced and came out stronger.”
For more information, please contact Eve Peyton at (504) 503-0062 or epeyton at bfhsla.org.

About Benjamin Franklin High School
      Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans’ most outstanding public charter school, hasbeen preparing students for success through academic achievement since its founding in1957. Consistently ranked as a “top public high school in the nation” by U.S. News & WorldReport, Newsweek, and Business Week, Franklin has received the highest School PerformanceSchool in Louisiana, making it the No. 1 public school in the state, year after year. BenFranklin is repeatedly named a National Blue Ribbon School, producing Presidential andNational Merit Scholars each year. The exceptional students, faculty, and staff at BenFranklin are the best and the brightest in New Orleans. For more information, please visitbfhsla.org.     
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