Congratulations are in order for Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, Tennessee. The school was chosen as the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. As such, their school will have honor of having President Barack Obama deliver the commencement address May 16th. Vice President Joseph Biden called Principal Alisha Kiner to tell her the school had won. "What we want to do is catapult our students to a higher plain", said Kiner. "And that takes going to college." Although Booker T. offers AP courses as well as vocational and technical courses for its myriad of different students, one thing that is common, especially among the teaching staff and principle is making sure that the students know that whatever they chose to do, they must "be the best" at it, reminds Kiner. Booker T. Washington High School’s graduation rate went from 55% in 2007 to 81.6% in 2010. “I’m so proud of the schools that participated in...
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