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2006 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 176
Commending the Norfolk Public Schools.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 20, 2006
Agreed to by the Senate, January 26, 2006

 

WHEREAS, the Broad Foundation awarded the Norfolk Public Schools the 2005 Broad Prize for Urban Education, the largest education prize in the country given to the most outstanding  urban school district; and

WHEREAS, the Broad Foundation, based in Los Angeles, is a venture philanthropy established in 1999 by Eli and Edythe Broad with a mission to dramatically improve K-12 urban public education through better governance, management, labor relations and competition; and

WHEREAS, established in 2002, the Broad Prize is an annual award that honors the country’s urban school districts that are making great improvements in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high and low-income students; and

WHEREAS, there were more than 80 urban school districts nationwide that were eligible for the 2005 Broad Prize, and the five finalists were selected after a rigorous review of data compiled and analyzed by the National Center for Educational Accountability; and

WHEREAS, a board of 17 prominent education leaders reviewed the data and selected the five finalists; and

WHEREAS, teams of educational researchers and practitioners conducted site visits at each of the finalist school districts to gather statistical and qualitative information, including interviews with district administrators, focus groups with teachers and principals, and classroom observations; and

WHEREAS, the information was presented to a selection jury comprised of two former United States secretaries of education and leading figures from business, industry, education, and public service; and

WHEREAS, the members of the distinguished selection jury for the 2005 Broad Prize were Governor Jeb Bush of Florida; chairman and CEO of American City Vista, Henry G. Cisneros; former governor of Michigan, John M. Engler; former governor of North Carolina, James B. Hunt, Jr.; former United States secretary of education, Rod Page; former president and CEO of the National Urban League, Hugh B. Price; former United States secretary of education, Richard W. Riley; and president of the Service Employees International Union, Andrew L. Stern; and

WHEREAS, the Norfolk school system is recognized as an exemplary school district because of the dedication and hard work of its teachers, administrators, staff, students, and parents; and

WHEREAS, the Norfolk Public Schools are a model for school districts across the Commonwealth and a worthy recipient of national recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate the Norfolk Public Schools on receiving the 2005 Broad Prize for Urban Education; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the superintendent of the Norfolk Public Schools as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for its continued commitment to excellence in education.