[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2416-E2417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          BASIS CHARTER SCHOOL

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                        HON. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 30, 2009

  Ms. GIFFORDS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the nationally 
acclaimed BASIS Charter Schools, which provide outstanding educational 
services in Tucson, Arizona.
  American students often lag behind their counterparts in other 
countries and we know that action must be taken to reverse this trend. 
BASIS Charter Schools give us a national model that demonstrates how we 
can effectively address this serious decline in educational 
performance.
  Ten years ago, Michael and Olga Block embarked on their mission to 
create a ``New American'' school. They established the BASIS Charter 
Schools. The BASIS philosophy understands that math and science are 
essentially the languages of the 21st century.
  These forward-thinking founders say that great teachers are 
responsible for the schools' successes. At BASIS, the teachers hold 
themselves and their students to high standards and levels of 
accountability. Students engage in a demanding course of study that 
gives them the skills needed to compete in the new global economy.
  BASIS has received many well deserved awards. The high school has 
been selected in each of the last four years by Newsweek magazine as 
one of the top 10 high schools in the United States. During the 2008-
2009 academic year, BASIS students received perfect

[[Page E2417]]

marks on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) exam. In 
2009, BASIS was the only high school in Arizona with 100 percent of its 
students passing the AIMS exam in every subject tested.
  Documentary filmmaker Robert A. Compton has produced a film about 
BASIS Schools entitled 2 Million Minutes: The 21st Century Solution. 
The title chronicles a student's journey in school from eighth grade 
until high school graduation. The filmmaker lauds BASIS schools saying 
that they ``demonstrate that American students are capable of competing 
academically with the best in the world.'' The film will premiere in 
Tucson on October 1, 2009.
  I am proud to acknowledge the great achievements of BASIS Charter 
Schools. The founders, the teachers, the students and their parents are 
leading the way for the critical improvements we must bring about in 
our public education system.

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