Emma E. Booker Elementary in Sarasota opened in 1989, and for much of its history it carried labels nobody wanted: struggling, “D”-rated, under state monitoring. Then on the morning of September 11, 2001, it became a national story for a different reason. President George W. Bush was inside that school, promoting the No Child Left Behind Act, when the attacks began. Teachers had to process their own shock while staying composed for the second graders in front of them.
Twenty-five years later, the school has something new to celebrate. Emma E. Booker just received its first “A” grade from the state of Florida since it opened. It’s also the highest-performing Title 1 school in Sarasota County, with 95 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Academic interventionist Dwana Washington has been at the school since 1990 and still remembers that September morning. When word of the new grade came in, staff members burst into tears. Principal Marya Annicelli credits 25 years of collective effort by teachers and students. It’s a reminder that some victories take decades, and nobody hands them to you.
Do you have a Suncoast school you think deserves more recognition? Tell us in the comments.
