MEDIA ADVISORY
May 19, 2008 Contact: Gary Chandler
National Civic League
303-278-2865
Oakland Educator Will Receive
National Award Monday
School Earns $5,000 Grant In His Honor
WHO & WHAT: Jerome Gourdine, principal of Frick Middle School, has won the 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors In Education Award, a program of the National Civic League. The national award program recognizes the most collaborative public school principals in 25 cities, including Oakland.
WHEN & WHERE: Suzanne McEuen and Peggy Sulkowski will present the Award for MetLife. Phillippe Wallace, SVP/COO, ZeroDivide, will make the presentation on behalf of the National Civic League. They will present the Award this Monday, May 19, at 3:30 p.m. at Frick Middle School, 2845 64th Avenue, in Oakland.
WHY: The Ambassadors In Education Award recognizes exemplary school principals in Oakland Unified Schools who:
· Build partnerships with community organizations, parents, and guardians;
· Resolve conflicts and promote safety in the school and the community; or
· Promote civic engagement and community service.
Several of Mr. Gourdine’s colleagues and community members nominated him for the Award. All middle and high school principals in the Oakland Unified School District were eligible.
HOW: In addition to a $5,000 grant for his school, he will receive a crystal apple to signify his achievement. His award-winning community engagement practices will be profiled as a resource for other schools and communities across the country.
BACKGROUND
Each year, the Ambassadors In Education program alternates recognition between teachers and principals. Previous Award winners in Oakland include:
· Malia Dinell, teacher, Bret Harte Middle School
· Jamie Marantz, principal, Edna Brewer Middle School
· Maryann Wolfe, teacher, Oakland Technical High School
All middle and high school principals in the following public school districts were eligible for the Award:
· Atlanta Public Schools
· Baltimore City Public Schools
· Boston Public Schools
· Charlotte/Mecklenburg Public Schools
· Chicago Public Schools
· Dallas Independent Schools
· Dayton Public Schools
· Denver Public Schools
· Des Moines Public Schools
· Detroit Public Schools
· Fort Worth Independent Schools
· Greenville County Schools (South Carolina)
· Hartford Public Schools
· Long Beach Unified Schools
· Los Angeles Unified Schools
· Minneapolis Public Schools
· New York City Public Schools
· Oakland Unified Schools
· Philadelphia, School District of
· Saint Louis Public Schools
· San Antonio Independent School District
· San Francisco Unified Schools
· Tampa, School District of Hillsborough County
· Tulsa Public Schools
· Washington, D.C., District of Columbia Public Schools
MetLife Foundation supports programs that increase opportunities for young people to succeed, give students and teachers a voice in improving education, develop partnerships between schools and communities and strengthen relationships among parents, teachers and students. The National Civic League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to community building and strengthening democracy, administers the program. For more information about the Ambassadors In Education Award, including the profiles of past winners and their community-building activities, visit www.ncl.org/metlife/index.html.
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