Dallas schools rank first and second on Newsweek’s list of best public high schools in U.S.

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson today submitted a statement to the record recognizing Dallas Independent School District’s School for the Talented and Gifted and School for Science and Engineering.  The School for the Talented and Gifted and the School for Science and Engineering were ranked first and second, respectively, in Newsweek’s list of the best 1,500 public high schools in the United States.  Both schools are part of the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, which is located in the 30th Congressional District of Texas.

Congresswoman Johnson’s complete statement, which also recognizes W.T. White High School and Woodrow Wilson High School, follows:

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the School for the Talented and Gifted and the School for Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center for receiving the extraordinary honor of being ranked as the top two public schools in the nation.

Each year, Newsweek ranks the top public high schools out of a possible 27,000, placing these two schools as the top two out of the 1,500 schools listed.  For 2009 the Magnet School for the Talented and Gifted ranked number one, with the Magnet School for Engineering and Science ranking number two. I am delighted that these two schools have achieved such a distinction, placing them among the elite public institutions in this country.

Additionally, I would like to recognize W. T. White High School which ranked 171st and Woodrow Wilson High School which ranked 637th.  These rankings put all of these high schools in the top 6 percent of all public secondary schools in the country.

Located in my district of Dallas, Texas, Townview Magnet is one of the most diverse schools in the state, with minorities representing over half of the student population. Given the diverse nature of the City of Dallas itself, and the increased globalization of most industries, the students attending these two schools will have the opportunity not only to impact the Dallas area, but on a global scale.

This marks the third time in 4 years that the School for the Talented and Gifted has been ranked number one in the nation. This unveiling marks the second time that the School of Engineering and Science has been ranked second nationally, the other year being in 2007.

This honor shows the values of a good educational environment, as many of the students attending these two schools will have opportunities to be the future leaders of this country. This honor will serve as an inspiration to the faculty, staff and students of Townview Magnet School to maintain a high level of work. I extend my appreciation for the hard work of everyone involved in achieving this honor, and lend my support to the future success of Townview.

Madam Speaker, again, I congratulate the students, teachers, principals and parents of Townview Magnet School for the Talented and Gifted and the Magnet School for Science and Engineering on this honor.

###

U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.