<p>WHEREAS: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School (NBRS), receiving acclaim for the school’s progress in closing student achievement gap; and</p><p>WHEREAS: The U.S. Department of Education recognized 356 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024, and this recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups on assessments; and</p><p>WHEREAS: The U.S. Department of Education states, “These schools demonstrate what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives;” and</p><p>WHEREAS: The U.S. Department of Education will formally recognize the schools at an awards ceremony on November 7 and 8, 2024 in Washington, DC; and </p><p>WHEREAS: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, under the capable leadership of Principal Gerald Yung, is one of only nine schools in the state of Massachusetts that were recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School; and</p><p>WHEREAS: The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School is one of only two public schools in the state that offers a two-way Mandarin immersion program, in which students benefit from expanded learning time, which allows for flexible pacing and intensity of instruction while offering enhanced enrichment to capture student curiosity; and</p><p>WHEREAS: This honor and achievement is the result of collaboration, hard work, innovative programming, and a steadfast belief in every student, which has transformed the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School from one of the lowest-performing to one of the highest-achieving schools in the state; and</p><p>WHEREAS: Dr. Gerald Yung states "This recognition is deeply meaningful to our community, reflecting both the challenges we've overcome and the bright future for our students that we are striving towards; now therefore be it</p><p>RESOLVED: That the entire Cambridge School Committee extends its appreciation and congratulations to the entire staff, students, and community of the Dr. Martin Luther King School on its achievement and recognition as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School; and be it further<br> </p><p>RESOLVED: That the Executive Secretary be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School on behalf of the entire Cambridge School Committee.</p>