Governor Quinn Congratulates Illinois' 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools

CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn today congratulated all of Illinois’ 21 nationally recognized 2013 Blue Ribbon Schools while at Queen of Angels Catholic Elementary School in Chicago. Today’s event is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to give every child the opportunity for a high-quality education.

“It is my distinct privilege to congratulate our state’s Blue Ribbon Schools and to celebrate with the students at Queen of Angels,” Governor Quinn said. “This award is a top honor for our high performing schools and is a direct reflection of our hard-working teachers and principals. We are proud of every Blue Ribbon School across Illinois.”

Every year the United States Department of Education selects public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ academic achievement. This year, 12 public and nine private Illinois schools were chosen for the educational honor.

“The students and staff at these schools work hard to show high performance and improvement and should be proud of this honor,” State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch said. “They are among a select few that have been singled out for the award and their communities should be proud of what they are achieving.”

Illinois’ 21 National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2013 include:

• Frazier International Magnet School, Chicago
• Greenbriar Elementary School, Northbrook
• Lincoln Elementary School, Morton
• Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School, Chicago
• Northside Catholic Academy, Chicago
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy, Chicago
• Prairie Crossing Charter School, Grayslake
• Queen of Angels School, Chicago
• Roslyn Road Elementary School, Barrington
• Saint Joan of Arc School, Evanston
• Saint Andrew School, Chicago
• Saint Francis Xavier School, La Grange
• Saint Michael School, Orland Park
• Saint Norbert School, Northbrook
• Saint Peter Lutheran School, Arlington Heights
• Sandburg Middle School, Elmhurst
• Scott Elementary School, Scott Air Force Base
• The Skokie School, Winnetka
• Twin Groves Middle School, Buffalo Grove
• United North Elementary School, Alexis
• Wescott Elementary School, Northbrook

Queen of Angels is one of only 50 private schools in the nation to earn a National Blue Ribbon for 2013. To earn the award, Queen of Angels students placed in the top 15% in the nation in both math and reading standardized tests in 2013.

On September 24, United States Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the 286 award-winning schools will be honored at a recognition ceremony on Nov. 18-19 in Washington, D.C. In its 31-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized nearly 7,500 of America’s schools.

Governor Quinn has been leading a strong education agenda to build a brighter future for all Illinois students. In 2011 the Governor signed landmark education reform laws that gained national attention. These reforms have improved school report cards, so that parents are empowered with more information about the schools that educate their kids and also set clear benchmarks for teacher evaluation and put performance above tenure. In August, he enacted a new law that lowers the compulsory school age for students in Illinois in order to ensure all children have the opportunity to build a solid foundation for academic achievement and to help combat truancy.