Napa, CA (Vocus) February 9, 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).

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 innovative SC21 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.”