[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 69 (Wednesday, May 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5177-S5178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF WEST PREP

  Mr. ENSIGN. Madam President, I rise to honor the leaders, 
visionaries, students, faculty, and the parents at West Prep in North 
Las Vegas, NV. At a time when disappointing and depressing news seems 
to fill our days, there is a light of promise beaming from a very 
unlikely place in my State.
  Just a few short years ago, the writing was on the chalkboard for 
West Middle School. The school was persistently dangerous and 
consistently the lowest performing middle school in southern Nevada. 
Madam President, 100 percent of the students are from low-income 
households, and 92 percent of them are Hispanic or Black. These 
children had not just been left behind, their futures were sort of 
swept under the rug for someone else to deal with at another time.
  Fortunately, there are educators who will never settle for that. 
Associate superintendent Dr. Ed Goldman asked if he could take the 
school over. He hired a young, brash, hungry principal named Dr. Mike 
Barton and made sure the school had empowerment-level funding. He also 
gave Dr. Barton tremendous reign over the school. That was in April 
2006.
  Today, West Prep is a study in education innovation. They extended 
the school day and provided a third semester as summer school. Forty 
percent of the children have voluntarily signed up for this summer 
school. Now they have begun a transition to a full K-12 campus. There 
is afterschool tutoring. The students wear uniforms. There is a 
newcomer track for students new to the United States. Science and math 
classes are divided by gender. There is a law enforcement class that 
collaborates with the FBI and a Men Mentoring Men program, both of 
which are keeping kids out of the dean's office. Students feel safe now 
when they go to this school. Most importantly, they are finally 
learning.

[[Page S5178]]

  I had the opportunity to visit this school and observe the students 
throughout the school. When an adult walks into the classrooms, all of 
the children stand, say good morning, sit back down, and continue their 
lesson. They are taught to respect elders.
  When I visited that school, I had the opportunity to observe a 
chemistry class. They were performing a chemistry experiment. I asked 
one of the students--she was an African-American young lady who had 
attended the school before Dr. Barton took over: What is the biggest 
difference between then and now? What was happening now, as opposed to 
before educators shook things up? She had a very simple reply. She 
said: Now I get to learn.
  It seems like such a simple thing, to be able to learn, almost 
shocking that those kinds of words would come out of her mouth. But 
these students had been robbed of that opportunity. We are the greatest 
Nation on earth, and we have not figured out how to make it so all our 
kids can learn. Give a child an education--an education that teaches 
and inspires--and there is no limit to their potential. The test 
results at West Prep are proof.
  This school has seen phenomenal test score growth. Recently, we 
learned how phenomenal that growth is. Three years ago, only 17 percent 
at what was then West Middle School could read or perform math at grade 
level. Only 17 percent. Today, 97 percent of juniors are proficient in 
reading, 73 percent are proficient in math, and 64 percent are 
proficient in science. About 80 percent of the juniors were enrolled at 
the school 3 years ago when Dr. Barton took over. Isn't that amazing?
  I am so proud of what Dr. Goldman and Dr. Barton have done, but I am 
especially proud of the students, the teachers, and the parents at West 
Prep. Together they have turned the tide. Every day we see at West Prep 
what quality education can accomplish.
  There is still work to do, but there is a can-do feeling that has 
spread throughout the community, and you feel it when you walk onto the 
campus. See, Dr. Barton was given freedom to lead that school. He isn't 
tied down by bureaucracy. He spends most of his time in the school, 
when a lot of the other principals today go to school district 
meetings, spend time on bureaucracy. The other thing is, he can fire 
teachers who are not performing. In fact, when he came onboard, he 
replaced a majority of the teachers. Remember, he is recruiting 
teachers into one of, what most people would describe in southern 
Nevada, the least desirable places to live or teach in southern Nevada. 
But now he has a team in place that he knows will motivate his students 
and help them reach their potential. This formula is working.
  In 2006, nobody imagined this school could ever reach the level of 
success it has in such a short period of time. Instead, the school will 
graduate its first senior class next year. It is raising the bar every 
day as it shakes up traditional education. Most importantly, the 
students of West Prep are learning and reaching their full potential.
  Congratulations, West Prep. We are all so proud of you and what you 
have accomplished.
  Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DODD. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________