Education Secretary Cites Federal Initiatives in Support of Schools

The Nation's Voice for Urban Education

April 2024 • Vol. 34 No. 3

www.cgcs.org

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona told school leaders the Biden Administration is coordinating efforts to quell community violence, which too often spills into schools. His priority, he said, is to make sure those efforts don’t sap school resources.

White House Advisor Addresses Absenteeism in Schools

Neera Tanden, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, recently addressed urban educators at the Council of the Great City Schools' Legislative Policy Conference and told them that the White House is focused on helping states and school districts make sure students attend school regularly.

Journalist Gives Perspective on Presidential Politics

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be running against each other in the 2024 presidential election, something political analyst Amy Walter would not have predicted a year ago when it seemed both men were not in a strong enough position to win their primaries.

Broward and Sacramento Name New Superintendents

Howard Hepburn was recently named the new superintendent of Florida’s Broward County Public Schools after previously serving as the district’s deputy superintendent of teaching and learning. Hepburn will succeed Peter Licata who is retiring due to medical reasons.

Council Honors Longtime Senator Chuck Schumer

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is the recipient of the 2024 Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice. Sponsored by Curriculum Associates, the award, named after the Council of the Great City Schools’ former executive director,

Urban School Leaders Highlight Progress After the Pandemic

At the Council of the Great City Schools’ recent Annual/Legislative Policy Conference, conferees heard from superintendents of four urban school districts that outpaced national pandemic academic recovery rates in reading, math or both, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard, a joint study by researchers from Stanford University and Harvard University.

Longtime Des Moines School Board Member Dies

Teree Caldwell-Johnson, a longtime member of Iowa’s Des Moines school board, died March 31 after battling cancer. She was 68. She was the longest-serving member of the Des Moines school board, first being elected in November 2006.

Upcoming Events

Bilingual, Immigrant, and Refugee Education Directors Meeting

When:

May 6 - May 11, 2024

Where:

The Royal Sonesta Minneapolis Downtown

Minneapolis, MN

Executive Director

Ray Hart

Editor

Tonya Harris

tharris@cgcs.org

Staff Writer

Joanne Coley

jcoley@cgcs.org

Staff Writer

Kalin Hicks

khicks@cgcs.org

Staff Writer

Alexandra Benjamin

Acting Chair

Marcia Andrews

Board Member, Palm Beach

Chair-elect

Marcia Andrews

Board Member, Palm Beach

Secretary-Treasurer

Sonja Brookins Santelisis

CEO, Baltimore

A newsletter published by the Council of the Great City Schools, representing 78 of the nation’s largest urban public school districts. Click here to learn more. All news items should be submitted to Tonya Harris (tharris@cgcs.org).