MASSA is the sister school of the Academy of Math and Science (AMS), a Tucson public K-12 charter school, which won the prestigious Federal Blue Ribbon Award in 2008. MASSA replicates AMS’ award-winning, best educational practices and curriculum under the leadership of the same administrative team.
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act's "Blue Ribbon Schools" program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap. Only sixteen public charter schools nationwide were honored in 2008 as "Blue Ribbon Schools" by the United States Department of Education.
Emily Casarona, the Secretary of Education's Regional Representative from the U.S. Department of Education stated during the award ceremony at AMS on September 19, 2008 that, "Washington can point to you, Academy of Math and Science, as a model school, as an example of what is possible. You are an inspiration to other teachers and students in Tucson – and in other cities across America. We applaud your success in ensuring that every student learns – that no child is left behind – no matter which of the twelve native languages your students may speak."
DeAnna Rowe, Director of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools stated, "This is a school that is dedicated to providing students with a quality education. While the name of the school and mission of the school clearly support a strong academic focus in math and science, it is very clear that the students of this school work very hard in all academic areas. As signified by your Blue Ribbon award, your work has paid off."
"We are honored to have been selected among such a small and distinguished group of schools across the nation. We have worked hard to create the best possible learning environment for our students, and obviously our efforts have enabled our students to achieve a high level of success," said MASSA's and AMS' director, Tatyana Chayka.
In addition to the Blue Ribbon award, AMS has been recognized for the following awards:
The faculty and staff of MASSA benefits from the close association with AMS, and sets the same high standards and expectations for themselves and their students. We are confident that the results will mirror the successes achieved by the AMS students and organization.
