Mayor Menino and Superintendent Johnson welcome Secretary of Education to Boston

Boston -  Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Carol R. Johnson recently welcomed U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the Josiah Quincy Elementary School in Chinatown.

“We are honored to have Secretary Duncan visit one of our great schools in Boston,” said Mayor Menino. “The work happening at the Quincy Elementary School is a great example for other schools in our city and schools across the nation of how community partners can make a real difference in the lives of students.”

Secretary Duncan, who was in Boston to deliver the commencement address to the 2010 graduates of Lesley University, was welcomed to the Quincy Elementary School by 2nd graders performing a dance routine as part of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Secretary Duncan also took time to engage Boston’s Educators of the Year award recipients in a conversation about effective strategies for academic success.

“Boston’s public schools are known across the country as an example of what urban schools can achieve and we owe so much of that gold-standard reputation to our amazing teachers,” said Dr. Johnson. “I’m pleased Secretary Duncan was able to spend time with some of our very best educators and hear first-hand examples of what works best for students.”

Boston Teachers Union President Richard Stutman was also at the school to greet the Secretary.

Simon Ho is the Principal of the Quincy Elementary School. The school serves more than 800 students in kindergarten through grade 5. More than half of the students performed at the advanced/proficient level on the 2009 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam. The school boasts a robust roster of community partners dedicated to advancing student achievement. The Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Boston Connects, South Cove Community Health Center and the YMCA were among the community partners at today’s event. Among the many popular resources the Quincy Elementary School offers is an active community center which is housed in the building.

Top Photo: Arne Duncan talks with Mayor Menino, Superintendent Johnson and Educator of the Year Sherdene Morrison from the Mildred Avenue School.

Bottom Photo: Second grade students from the Josiah Quincy Elementary School are ready to perform a dance routine in honor of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.