Background:
During a three-day meeting at the Wingspread Conference
Center in November 1992, some 30 experts on American schools
recommended that the Danforth Foundation establish a new
leadership effort, a Forum for the American School Superintendent.
The Forum should be designed to strengthen the ability of
school superintendents to provide effective education for
all children. Five themes captured the participants' consensus:
- The Forum needs to be grounded in a vision of
effective education for all children. Without such
a vision and the values embedded in it, there is
little hope for organization.
- It is a mistake to focus exclusively on superintendents.
School governance is intensely political and all
of the actors, including schools boards and unions,
need to be involved.
- Schools cannot, alone, assume total responsibility
for the development of young people and effective
education for all. The discussion needs to include
other units of government, social service agencies,
parents, and community leaders.
- Although the problems are universal, the solutions
are local. The Danforth Foundation should aim to
develop local capabilities to deal with nationwide
problems.
- The education system is under enormous stress
and many superintendents have difficulty coping
with today's demands. A Forum for the American School
Superintendent to help deal with these issues is
a solid idea.
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In response to these recommendations, the Foundation has
developed a major effort aimed at meeting the special needs
of superintendents responsible for the education of large
number of at-risk, high-need students.
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