Montessori in the national spotlight:
May 10, 2010
WASHINGTON – The White House and the U.S. Department of Education today announced that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will deliver the commencement address at Clark Montessori Jr.& Sr. High School in Cincinnati, OH, as part of the President’s Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. The commencement is scheduled for Thursday, May 27, 2010.
“Clark Montessori Jr. and Sr. High School shows an extraordinary commitment to encouraging their students to take responsibility for their education, get involved in their community and go to college,” said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “I look forward to congratulating them and celebrating their hard work as their 2010 commencement speaker.”
Clark Montessori Jr. & Sr. High School was one of over 1,000 applications for the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge narrowed down by the White House and Department of Education to six high school finalists. In recognition of the extraordinary achievements and outstanding efforts by each of the six finalists, the Obama Administration pledged to provide a Cabinet secretary or senior administration official to deliver the commencement address at each of the five schools not selected as the national winner.
The Commencement Challenge, launched in late February, invited the nation’s public high schools to submit applications showing their dedication to providing students with an excellent education that will prepare them to graduate ready for college and career choices.
Applications were judged based on the schools’ performance, four essay questions and supplemental data. The six finalists were selected for their dedication to academic excellence and for showing how they are helping prepare students to graduate college and career ready, and prepared to meet the President’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
