49.3 million American students attend public school every day—led by over 90,000 principals. Cultivating leaders who are able to set a strong...
49.3 million American students attend public school every day—led by over 90,000 principals. Cultivating leaders who are able to set a strong vision and culture for schools is critical to creating effective learning environments and improving student achievement.
The George W. Bush Institute announced twelve new sites to the Alliance to Reform Education Leadership (AREL), a network of innovatorsaround the country that are changing the way school principals are chosen, trained, evaluated and empowered. AREL, a program that was announced by Mrs. Laura Bush in September, 2010, focuses on enhancing and empowering the performance of America’s school principals as a means to impact student achievement. AT&T contributed $1 million at the launch of the initiative in 2010, and this year, in support of the success of AREL, the AT&T Foundation has provided an additional $1 million to support the expansion of the program.
AREL has more than doubled the number of sites since it was launched. AREL sites include: Gwinnett County Public Schools, KIPP School leadership Programs, New Leaders for New Schools, New York City Leadership Academy, University of Illinois Chicago, Achievement First Residency Program for School Leadership (RPSL), ED-Entrepreneur Center, Get Smart Schools, Great Leaders for Great Schools, California State Polytechnic University, Long Beach Unified School District, Marian University, The Ryan Fellowship, Teach For America – Harvard – Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Leadership Collaborative, Chicago Public Schools, Houston Independent School District and the Louisiana Alliance to Reform Education Leadership.
“We know that a student’s learning each year is largely determined by the effectiveness of their teacher, and that the impact of a good teacher can fade out if that child is not taught by similarly effective teachers in subsequent years,” said Dr. Kerri Briggs, program director for education reform at the Bush Institute. “Principals are essential to that momentum. They set the vision and culture for the school, oversee all aspects of development, support and retention of their teaching team, and set the expectations necessary to improve student achievement.”
The Bush Institute’s education reform team develops programs to ensure every American student completes high school ready for college orprepared for a good career. This national network of innovative training sites will focus on creating an expanded and more rigorous selection process, improving principal training, and changing the management context in which principalsoperate, providing them more authority and increased access to data.
“Strong school leadership is critical to ensuring our students succeed in school and graduate ready for the future challenges of continuing education and the workforce,” said Beth Shiroishi, AT&T Foundation President. “We’re proud to support the expansion of AREL and help bring this successful program to more communities.”
AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. As part of its commitment, AT&T launched Aspire in April 2008, a four-year, $100 million commitment to education. AT&T Aspire is one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to addresshigh school success and workforce readiness.
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About the George W. Bush Institute:
The George W. Bush Institute seeks to improve the human condition through human freedom, education reform, global health, and economic growth. In all its programming, the Institute integrates initiatives that empower women and military servicemen and kwomen. The Bush Institute is theinnovation policy arm of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which includes the Presidential library, located on the campus of SMU in Dallas. For more information, please visit www.bushcenter.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About AT&T:
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.
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About Philanthropy at AT&T: AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and working with other organizations, AT&T has a long history of supporting projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2010, more than $148.2 million was contributed through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs.
