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Monday’s episode of Oprah, as you may know, featured DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, billionaire Bill Gates and Davis Guggenheim, currently famous as the man behind Waiting For Superman. Theoretically, the show examined public education in America, though I don't think I was alone in noticing the voices missing from the show.

But in addition to presenting a one-sided view to education and school improvement in America, I was really disappointed with one thing in particular. Oprah celebrated six groundbreaking charter schools/charter networks that work with mainly under-resourced populations. Each got a million dollars from her “Angel Network.” Now, these schools have accomplished amazing things. They should to be commended for the hard work that their staff puts in on behalf of their students. Clearly, they are all very deserving of the money and recognition they got on her show.

But the fact the show highlighted ONLY charter schools was unsettling. Such actions unwittingly (or unfortunately, perhaps wittingly) imply that charter schools are the best hope for our disadvantaged kids. But that is ENTIRELY untrue. While there are struggling public schools (which was clearly evident from this show), there are also public schools across the country that help children from all backgrounds reach great academic heights. In them, unheralded teachers are doing extraordinary things every day. But Oprah did not feature those schools or teachers.

So I want to celebrate six of the many, many traditional public elementary schools that are doing amazing things for their students every day. Sadly, I don’t have a million dollars to give them. But they deserve recognition of what they do. So in no particular order…

Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. The school serves a high-needs population, with many of its students speaking a language other than English at home and most receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Yet the school consistently performs well on standardized assessments. In fact, in 2010, 100% of 5th graders met state reading standards, and 100% of 4th and 5th graders met state math standards. Not only that, at Viers Mill teachers have a real voice and every child at the school feels valued.

Greenlawn Terrace Elementary School in Kenner, LA. This small school is achieving big things. Last year it was named a High-Performing High-Poverty School by the Louisiana Department of Education, one of the few neighborhood schools in the New Orleans area to recieve the honor. How does it do it? A caring environment and a focus on data.

Taylor Ray Elementary School in Rosenberg, TX. While 73% of Taylor Ray’s students are considered economically disadvantaged, and 28% are Limited English Proficient, this school thrives. In 2010, school proficiency rates exceeded 94% in all tested subjects for all tested grades. Key to its success are a number of factors, including an excellent and dedicated staff that constantly collaborate, a mentoring program and a dual language program.

Carstens Elementary School in Detroit, MI. While over 90% of students at Carstens receive free or reduced-price lunch, the school performs amazingly well. For example, in 2010 100% of 3rd and 4th graders met state proficiency standards in math. And the school is a beacon of light for its surrounding community, with staff working hard to meet all the needs of students and priding themselves on their shared leadership.

George Hall Elementary School in Mobile, AL. The mainly low-income students at George Hall benefit from frequent field trips--carefully constructed adventures that tie directly to the curriculum--designed to expose them to the larger world. They also become experts in technology, publishing their "photo stories" on the web. But all this time "away from basics" doesn't hurt their performance. In 2009, 100% of third and fourth grade George Hall students met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading. 100% of fourth and fifth grade students met or exceeded proficiency standards in math.

For the sixth, I want to highlight a rural school. None of the charters that Oprah featured serve rural populations. And while the challenges rural schools face are very different than those urban schools do, they are no less difficult to overcome. So...

Laurel Hill Elementary School in Laurel Hill, NC. Despite serving an economically disadvantaged population, the school performs well above state averages on end-of-grade tests. And students with disabilities perform particularly well compared to their peers statewide, thanks in part to a well-established inclusion system. The school also has the highest attendance rate in its district, no mean feat in a rural area where kids historically missed school frequently to hunt and fish. And the school’s teacher turnover rate is below that of the state and district, indicative of a teaching and learning environment where people want to work.

While I cannot give these schools a million dollar reward, which I believe they would certainly deserve, at least I can recognize them for their efforts and their successes. Just a few of the many, many traditional schools and districts doing amazing things every day.