[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 22575]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    GLENN W. LEVEY MIDDLE SCHOOL NAMED 1999-2000 BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, in 1982, the United States 
Department of Education initiated its Blue Ribbon Schools Program. In 
each year since, the Department has recognized schools throughout the 
country which excel in all areas of academic leadership, teaching and 
teacher development, and school curriculum. In other words, Blue Ribbon 
Schools are recognized because they are the finest public and private 
secondary schools our Nation has to offer. They are the schools that 
set the standard for which others strive. I am very proud to report 
that nine of the 198 Blue Ribbon Schools named by Secretary Richard W. 
Riley for 1999-2000 are located in the State of Michigan, and I rise 
today to recognize Glenn W. Levey Middle School in Southfield, 
Michigan, one of these nine schools.
  Glenn W. Levey Middle School takes pride in its tradition of 
addressing the learning needs of the whole child at a crucial stage in 
his or her development. The staff is firmly commited to educating all 
students through a challenging curriculum, a strong academic program, 
and a collaborative professional development program. This program 
takes into account the multiple needs of a middle-school population, 
needs which Levey has long worked to meet.
  Levey was one of the first schools in the district to implement 
interdisciplinary teaming, block scheduling, and to align its 
curriculum with state and national standards. It is one of a select 
group of schools in the United States to successfully implement an 
IMAST (Integrated Mathematics, Science and Technology) Program. As a 
result of its success in these areas, Levey was one of the first 
schools in its district to acquire North Central Accreditation, NCA, 
receiving the highest scores in every NCA category.
  The staff and students of Levey Middle School are proud of its 
history as a leading middle school, and the fact that it has been a 
catalyst for change inside the district and beyond. The staff and the 
community continue to set higher standards and hold greater 
expectations. With supportive parents, hardworking students, and a 
skilled and dedicated staff, I am confident that Levey Middle School 
will continue to set the precedent for years to come.
  I applaud the students, parents, faculty and administration of Glenn 
W. Levey Middle School, for I believe this is an award which speaks 
more to the effort of a united community than it does to the work of a 
few individuals. With that having been said, I would like to recognize 
Dr. Linda Paramore-Ford, the Principal of Glenn W. Levey Middle School, 
whose dedication to making her school one of the finest in our Nation 
has been instrumental in creating this community. On behalf of the 
entire United States Senate, I congratulate Glenn W. Levey Middle 
School on being named a Blue Ribbon School for 1999-2000, and wish the 
school continued success in the future.




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