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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

House Education Committee Chair George Miller, Rep. Mike Thompson Visit Napa New Technology High School

House Education Committee Chair George Miller, Rep. Mike Thompson Visit Napa New Technology High School:

"House Education Committee Chair George Miller, Rep. Mike Thompson Visit Napa New Technology High School


Two of California’s most influential congressmen, Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, got a glimpse of the future of education Friday during a tour Napa New Technology High School and Napa High School with its Student-Centered 21st-Century classrooms (SC21)."



Napa, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) February 10, 2010 -- Two of California’s most influential congressmen, Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, got a glimpse of the future of education Friday during a tour of Napa New Technology High School and Napa High School with its Student-Centered 21st-Century classrooms (SC21).

Rep. George Miller observes a student at Napa New Technology High School.
Rep. George Miller observes a student at Napa New Technology High School.

Miller, who has long been an advocate of education, is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. Thompson is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees all revenue measures in Congress. Their two-hour visit included time spent in an American Studies classroom at Napa New Tech and a Political Studies classroom at Napa High School.
“Napa New Technology High School gives us the opportunity to look at the future,” Miller said. “And it gives students the opportunity to fully engage in the learning process with the full participation of their peers.”
Thompson said he was impressed with the performance of Napa New Tech.
“It was great to tour Napa New Tech High School and Napa High and see the innovativeSC21 programs they've implemented,” Thompson said. “Most impressively, they have real results to show that their model works. The achievement gap has been narrowed, the dropout rate has decreased, and college acceptance has increased. Our community should be commended for creating the public/private partnerships that have made this all possible."
The SC21 community initiative, based in Napa, seeks to provide classroom environments for students where 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and creative problem-solving can be introduced, supported and developed.
Founded in 1996, Napa New Technology High School is the flagship high school of the New Tech Network, which now consists of 40 high schools in nine states. All New Tech Network schools are marked by project-based learning in a technology-rich environment. Unlike students in traditional high schools, where most teachers lecture and use textbooks as a teaching approach, teachers in New Tech high schools design rigorous, real-world projects tied to state and district standards and customize them to their location and the interests of students. The result: Students who are deeply engaged in learning and develop important skills such critical thinking and collaboration.