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New Orleans, Louisiana
http://benfranklinhighschool.org/
NSHSS is pleased to recognize Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, as first Claes Nobel School of Distinction of the 2006-07 academic year. The school will receive a $500.00 award from the NSHSS Foundation, which recognizes excellence in schools and teaching. Franklin High was selected for its tenacious efforts to reopen and revitalize the school following last year's devastation by Hurricane Katrina. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the administration, staff, students, parents, and community, the school reopened and continues to be one of the top public high schools in the nation.
View CBS News Report on Franklin Opening
Principal Carol Christen, beginning her third year at the helm of Ben Franklin, sums up the efforts:
"We have always believed that all of us must be committed in a real way to the health and growth of our community. This belief was dramatically tested in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The whole community came together to save this incredible school for its present students and for its future students. That was no easy task. It happened because of strong leadership, strong backs, and strong spirits. It happened because this school is loved. People gave because this school is important to children's lives. It happened because the community recognizes that what we give to children is what matters most."
Benjamin Franklin High School, located on the University of New Orleans campus, was founded in 1957, its stated mission to promote excellence among New Orleans high school students. Benjamin Franklin High School has been named the top public high school in the State of Louisiana since the implementation of the accountability system in the state and was listed in Newsweek (May 8, 2006) as one of the public elite schools in the country. It has also been recognized as the top AP testing school in the Southern region. Franklin serves a population of students with high academic potential: 99.5% of each graduating class enters college, winning acceptance to the most prestigious universities in the country and collecting significant numbers of merit scholarships. To maximize their potential, students may be enrolled in AP courses in freshman year and are, by the time they are seniors, enrolled in AP courses in core academic areas.
To nominate your school for consideration, please email Dr. Susan Thurman at susan.thurman@nshss.org with an explanation of why your school deserves this recognition. Be sure to include your name and contact information, the school's name and city, and a link to the school's website.