Education Secretary Duncan Announces $9.2 Million for 14 School Leadership Grants

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of $9.2 million for 14 awards to improve the leadership and effectiveness of current and aspiring principals and assistant principals in high-need school districts. Grants will be used to develop and expand innovative programs to recruit, train, and provide professional development opportunities for principals.

"An effective principal serves as the catalyst for significant school improvement," Duncan said. "These grants will help school leaders hone the wide range of skills needed to be a strong principal who can inspire teachers and have a positive impact on instructional practices that lead to improved learning outcomes."

The five-year grants were awarded to six school districts, three non-profit organizations, and five universities in 12 states: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Grantees will use funds for a variety of activities to promote effective leadership in high-need school districts, such as stipends to principals who mentor new principals, financial incentives to aspiring new principals, training specific to a charter school environment, use of school-based data to develop turnaround practices, and tracking student achievement data.

More than 950 principals and aspiring principals are expected to be served by these 14 grants. An additional $20 million is being awarded this year for 29 continuation grants that began in 2008 and 2009. Funded since 2002, the School Leadership program has helped to certify more than 1,260 principals and assistant principals, to place 633 principals and assistant principals, and provide professional development services to over 5,700 participants.

Note to Editors: Attached is the list of grantees, by state, and includes 2010 funding:

CALIFORNIA

Long Beach Unified School District; Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill; Kristi A. Kahl, (562) 997-8291 or kkahl@lbschools.net; $647,674

California State University Dominguez Hills; Los Angeles; Ann Chlebicki, (310) 243-2517 or achelebicki@csudh.edu; $1,347,605

California League of Middle Schools; Compton; Irvin Howard, 562-430-3136 or stwcal@aol.com; $444,460

FLORIDA

School Board of Miami-Dade County; Iraida R. Mendez-Cartaya, 305-995-1497 or imendez@dadeschools.net; $744,558

ILLINOIS

East St. Louis Public School District 189; Princess Hayes, 618-646-3048 or phayes@stclair.k12.il.us; $446,550

MICHIGAN

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo; Van Cooley, 269-387-3891 or van.cooley@wmich.edu; $688,732

MINNESOTA

Saint Paul Public Schools; Kate Wilcox-Harris, 651-744-1367 or kate.wilcox-harris@spps.org; $638,305

MISSISSIPPI

North Mississippi Education Consortium; University; Susan Rucker, 662-701-8150 or srucker@ncee.org; $929,816

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque Public Schools; Debbie Hamilton, 505-252-1017or hamilton_deb@aps.edu; $620,300

NEW YORK

New Leaders for New Schools; New York City; Shane Mulhern, 646-792-1074 or smulhern@nlns.org; $616,474

PENNSYLVANIA

Lehigh University; Allentown; George White, 610-758-3262 or gpw1@lehigh.edu; $481,016

SOUTH CAROLINA

Winthrop University, Rock Hill; Mark Mitchell, 803-323-4726 or mitchellm@winthrop.edu; $749,972

TENNESSEE

Memphis City Schools (MCS); Tommie McCarter, 901-416-6464 or mccartert@mcsk12.net; $593,172

VIRGINIA

Hampton University; Norfolk, Michael L. McIntosh, 757-637-2426 or michael.mcintosh@hampton.edu; $322,489