South Bronx Classical Charter School Awarded National Recognition

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Published on September 30, 2020, 3:19 pm
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On September 24, 2020, South Bronx Classical Charter School was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2020 National Blue Ribbon Award winner. Classical was the only charter school recipient in the state of New York and one of only 367 schools chosen among the over 130,000 schools in the country.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Schools are eligible for nomination after five years. The coveted National Blue Ribbon Award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.

Classical Charter Schools’ curriculum includes Latin, debate, art, music, fitness, and other subjects that are integral to navigating the world with creativity and critical thought. The school practices and promotes structured and intentional teacher development, including frequent observations, direct access to an experienced instructional coach, and monthly professional development. In 2019, the last year for which data is available, 90% of Classical students passed the New York State English Language Arts test, and 97% passed the New York State Mathematics test.

“Our school is grateful for this award, and to the students, teachers and staff, families, and community that make our work possible. Yet with this honor comes an acknowledgment that the landscape for students and families has changed in 2020. The CoViD-19 crisis continues to widen gaps in access to education, while our society confronts persistent racial and social inequities. Now more than ever, this award affirms the urgency of our work in minimizing the impact of the current crises on our students’ access to a safe, equitable, excellent education,” said Classical Charter Schools Founder and Executive Director Lester Long.

The 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony will be held virtually on November 12 and November 13, 2020.

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About Classical Charter Schools

Classical Charter Schools is a network of public, open-enrollment charter schools located in the South Bronx dedicated to educating scholars through a rigorous classical curriculum including art, music, Latin, debate, and fitness. Our scholars are among the highest performing in all of New York State. Classical Charter Schools was founded in 2006 to educate scholars in the South Bronx to a level that would enable them to access the most elite educational institutions. Our rigorous curriculum propels scholars to achieve and makes a lasting, positive impact on their lives.

About The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools since 1982 based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Every year the U. S. Department of Education seeks out and celebrates great American schools, schools demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels. Now in its 38th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed almost 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, with some schools winning multiple awards. Schools are eligible for nomination after five years. The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. The National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing an entry or flying overhead is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.

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Jonas Bronck is the pseudonym under which we publish and manage the content and operations of The Bronx Daily.™ | Bronx.com - the largest daily news publication in the borough of "the" Bronx with over 1.5 million annual readers. Publishing under the alias Jonas Bronck is our humble way of paying tribute to the person, whose name lives on in the name of our beloved borough.