The U.S. Department of Education has chosen E.W. Luther Elementary as a National Blue Ribbon School — one of just eight in the state and 367 in the country. It was recognized for “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing.”
According to the award website: “The program celebrates school excellence, turn around stories, and closing subgroup achievement gaps. The Award is both a high aspiration and a potent resource of practitioner knowledge.”
Why Luther? Here is more from the award winner profile page …
E. W. Luther Elementary is a public elementary school in the suburb of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The city of South Milwaukee is historically working-class with strong roots in manufacturing. We are a neighborhood school with almost all of our students living within a radius of less than one mile, which helps contribute to our strong sense of community.
We promote strategies within our school to encourage and challenge all students to develop their full potential academically, emotionally, physically, socially, and culturally. We provide an environment that encompasses rigor, respect, pride, safety, celebration, relevance, and relationships. Our students are provided a rigorous learning environment focused on the academic and emotional needs of each child.
An environment of mutual respect between all members of our learning community is modeled, and we celebrate each child as an individual academically and emotionally. Through our intentional relationship building, we guide each child to become a productive member of society. We pride ourselves on the culture within our building and the growth mindset of the staff contributes to this. Teachers view all E. W. Luther students as their own, and celebrate one another’s successes. We identify this as a technique that sets us apart from others.
Congratulations to E.W. Luther and the entire South Milwaukee School District for this honor. As a former Luther family, we saw firsthand the culture Mr. Wightman, the teachers, staff, parents and kids were building there, and the school’s dedication to delivering a first-class education for all students.
I see that same spirit across the district, and it makes me proud to be a South Milwaukee school parent. Well done, E.W. Luther!
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