Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2008

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Parent volunteers at Veterans Park Elementary proudly tied a big blue bow on the school sign early Wednesday to celebrate its being named one of only five 2008 Blue Ribbon Schools in Kentucky.

“It just validates the hard work that our community does for our kids. We know it’s our great teachers, our students and our parents and the community atmosphere,” said Amy McVey, who is in her fifth year as principal. “It shows that it’s paying off.”

In tandem with the festive blue-ribbon announcement, city firefighters dropped a banner from their ladder truck revealing Veterans Park’s (adjusted) CATS scores of 119.4 – the fourth highest in the state. McVey asked the teachers to make it a “no homework” night, and the children got extra recess and Popsicles as a treat.

“This took a commitment from everyone and a desire to achieve excellence,” said resource teacher Janet Jones, who, along with the entire school staff, was dressed in blue. “We knew we were working toward this goal, and it’s nice to be recognized.”

The federal No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels. Only 88 schools in Kentucky have ever been named a Blue Ribbon School, and Fayette County Public Schools has not had one since Southern Elementary received the honor in 1989.

McVey and Christi Lindeman, who teaches primary students, will go to Washington, D.C., in October for an awards ceremony where they will accept a plaque and a flag for Veterans Park.

“Everybody has such a sense of pride in that we work so hard together as a team. It’s a learning atmosphere, and we do whatever it takes to make each student a success,” said Kathy Roberts, the school’s professional staff assistant.

This year’s 320 blue ribbon winners serve as models for other schools throughout the nation.

“I think it’s all in sharing. Fayette County is moving that way as a district – we’re all in it as a team, sharing with each other,” said Roberts, who previously taught fourth grade for 11 years at VPE. “It’s not just about Veterans Park … It’s about the district as a whole. That’s the key, if we all want to be a success.”

For 26 years, the Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored more than 5,800 of America’s most successful schools. That number represents the highest-achieving 4 percent of the nation’s more than 130,000 schools.

Schools are selected based on one of two criteria:

(1)   Schools with at least 40 percent of their kids from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests;

(2)   Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or, in the case of private schools, in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally normed tests.

“These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve,” U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said in announcing the 2008 award winners. “Now our challenge is to help other schools follow their lead by continuing to measure progress through No Child Left Behind, and by using the knowledge we’ve gained to replicate effective strategies and help every student improve.”

(Nema Brewer-Candy contributed to this article.)