Deputy secretary of ed visits Twain School

The academic achievements at Mark Twain Elementary School are being recognized by federal education officials.

After several years of failing to make adequate yearly progress, the school met the accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Gene Hickok, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, will visit the school today to recognize the improvement.

"He's coming to honor the teachers for doing such a good job, and the teachers deserve that," said Principal Kathy Adair. "He is coming to honor the students for working so hard on their studies, and they deserve that."

Hickok will arrive around 8 a.m., speak with Adair, then tour the school.

Adair is encouraging students and staff to wear red, white and blue.

"Being recognized by people back in Washington, D.C., is a very proud moment," she said. "For us to show them we're proud - red, white and blue symbolizes that."

Mark Twain Elementary was one of four schools in the Carson City School District that made adequate yearly progress this year.

Seeliger and Bordewich-Bray elementary schools also met the requirements as did the alternative Pioneer High School.

Adair attributes the progress of the school to years of toil by teachers and students. She also credits a list of initiatives, including the national reading program Success For All.

"We worked really hard to even have a chance to score well enough to make this happen," she said. "And we're not the only school that's doing this. We're all trying pretty hard to do our best."

Rod Paige, secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, said the progress is proof the legislation is working.

"For years, many of our poor, underprivileged children were ignored, disrespected, and pre-judged, moved to the back of the room, and quietly pushed through the system with their scores hidden in averages," he said. "They were cast into the shadows then cast out into life without the skills to succeed."

Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.