[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 131 (Wednesday, September 16, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING KENNETH J. TICE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON THEIR 2009 BLUE 
                          RIBBON SCHOOL AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2009

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Kenneth J. Tice Elementary School in the Galena Park Independent School 
District and our district for their dedication to academic excellence 
that has earned them the honored distinction of being a Blue Ribbon 
School in 2009.
  Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Schools 
Program has honored many of America's most successful schools, and I am 
proud of Tice Elementary for establishing itself as an elite academic 
institution by achieving this high honor. The Blue Ribbon Award honors 
public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are 
academically superior or have made dramatic gains in student 
achievement and helped close achievement gaps among minority and 
disadvantaged students over the course of the previous school year. 
This year 314 schools earned this coveted award.
  U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan once said that ``Blue Ribbon 
Schools are producing outstanding results for their students. Some have 
shown dramatic improvements in places where students are overcoming the 
challenges of poverty, and others serve as examples of consistent 
excellence that can be a resource for other schools.'' Under the 
supervision of Principal Ms. Judy Holbrook, Tice Elementary is 
developing outstanding students who are challenged to meet high 
expectations with the active support of teachers, parents and the 
community. With a diverse student base, and a decade of being 
recognized as an Exemplary school by the Texas Education Agency, 
Kenneth J. Tice Elementary truly embodies the ideals of the Blue Ribbon 
Award and is an inspiration for all schools in the Houston area.
  I congratulate the administration, teachers, parents, and students at 
Tice Elementary for their dedication to excellence and hard work.

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