LANSING - State Senator Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit) today paid tribute to Detroit Renaissance High School, one of the nation's top academic high schools, on the Senate floor of the Capitol in Lansing. Accepting the award on behalf of the school were Dr. Connie Calloway, General Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools and Detroit Renaissance Principal Gail Russell-Jones. The presentation honored Detroit Renaissance High School for being named Top High School in Michigan and among the leading high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

“While urban education has often been labeled as ‘failing’ and urban students as ‘underachieving,’ Detroit Renaissance has demonstrated that urban students in urban schools can achieve academic success far exceeding common expectations,” Clark-Colman said. “Detroit Renaissance is located in the heart of Northwest Detroit in the 3rd Senate District. And I could not be more proud.”

The widely-acclaimed Renaissance Singers also performed a medley of selections for the Michigan Senate.

Founded in 1978, Detroit Renaissance students represent a variety of backgrounds, neighborhoods, family situations and interests. Their common goal is a desire to succeed. One hundred percent of Detroit Renaissance High School graduates go on to institutions of higher learning, and graduates have gone on to become successful leaders in law, medicine, the arts and sciences, as well as members of the Michigan legislature. Detroit Renaissance High School is also a leader in the arts, as the Renaissance Singers’ performance today attested.

This is the second time Detroit Renaissance High School has been cited by USN&WR for outstanding academic achievement.

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State Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman represents the 3rd Senate District. She sits on the Banking & Financial Institutions, Education, Families & Human Services, and Senior Citizens & Veterans Affairs committees.