Students, staff and community leaders gathered today [Thursday] at the Margaret Talkington School for Young Women Leaders (SWYL) to commemorate what would be the 101st birthday of school’s namesake and two prestigious awards earned by the school and staff.
Earlier in the week, Talkington Principal Berta Fogerson and Lubbock ISD Superintendent Berhl Robertson, Jr. were in Washington, D.C. as the Talkington School for Young Women Leaders was recognized as one of only 279 schools named a 2016 Blue Ribbon School by the U. S. Department of Education. In the United States there are roughly 100,000 public schools and only 279 were named 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Additionally, Talkington Principal Berta Fogerson was one of seven principals in the nation selected for the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership.
U S. Secretary of Education John King said, “The Bell Award recognizes principals who are transformational leaders. They inspire greatness in their students, in their teachers, and in their communities. Winning a Bell Award is a small acknowledgment of the tireless work these principals have done in their effort to create positive school cultures where teachers are empowered and all students, regardless of background, can and do succeed.” Only principals of Blue Ribbon Schools are eligible for the Bell Award.
Superintendent Berhl Robertson, Jr., said, “This Blue Ribbon School designation is something that graduates can proudly claim, due to the outstanding work being done by the students and teachers on this campus and the many people who have surrounded them with support. It strikes me that this is what it takes to attain the highest levels of success… students who are motivated to achieve, teachers and administrators who invest themselves fully and a community of supporters who are dedicated to the school’s success.”
For more information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, please visit nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov
(Press release from Lubbock ISD)
