Home

George Mason Drawn Onto U.S. Map of Education by Indira Levy October 21, 1983

Lasso Archive Index

     At a formal ceremony of the White House Front Lawn on September 28, after a speech by Present Ronald Reagan, Secretary of Education Terrel Bell presented principal George Thoms with a flag commemorating George Mason's excellence in education.

     The event stirred up reporters from Channel 9 News, The Fairfax Journal and the Washington Post, among others.

     What makes George Mason exemplary?  Guidance counselor Jesse Millhouse thinks George Mason's strong point is its diverse course offerings which provide for the needs of all types of students.  She also cited the extent of faculty involvement and support, and the school's size as major factors for its sense of community.

     Principal George Thoms stressed the importance of the homework policy and the school's low drop-out rate as factors in Mason's success.

     The well coordinated curriculum, teacher efficacy, community support, and frequent and monitored homework were all listed by the Department of Education as, "attributes of effectiveness"

     Although George Mason has received national recognition, Mrs. Millhouse says her outlook as a counselor hasn't changed at all.  Both she and Dr. Thoms indicated that they always thought George Mason a good school, and the exemplary status simply reinforced their beliefs.

     Millhouse does believe, however, that George Mason's new status will influence the outlooks of college admissions officers.  Since the school was recognized by Secretary of Education Bell, Mrs. Millhouse has received phone calls from Harvard University requesting a list of potentially interested college bound students.  This is an unprecedented occurrence, according to the guidance counselor.

     Now that George Mason has made it onto the map, what next?  When asked about directions of improvement, Dr. Thoms, who reflected satisfaction with the school, said he only say "room for general refinement, rather than big changes."

     This refinement is exemplified in this year's establishment of the quarterly syllabus required of all teachers.  Dr. Thoms felt the, "need to communicate more with students and parents about the school curriculum."