A Brooklyn School's wall of fame gets crowded with Senators.

James Madison High School, in Brooklyn, N.Y., can now claim three sitting Senators as alumni. Representative Bernie Sanders of Vermont became number three when he won a Senate seat last month, joining Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York and Norm Coleman of Minnesota. Among the first things you see when you walk through Madison's doors is a lineup of photos--the school's "Wall of Distinction," a montage of graduates from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the songwriter Carole King. "This is a plain old neighborhood school," says the principal. "We don't have a test to get in. And still our kids achieve." Senator Schumer says that more than anything else, a big school, like Madison "teaches you street smarts." This is still, the case, says the principal: "If you come through Brooklyn, you're ready for anything." --Clyde Haberman (11/10/06)