Edelman, Cuban, Underwood Honored by Horace Mann League
Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), has been named the Horace Mann League’s Outstanding Friend of Public Education during the HML Annual Meeting, held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday, February 14.
Larry Cuban, a Stanford emeritus professor of education, former school district superintendent, and a 14-year high school social studies teacher, was recognized with the HML Outstanding Public Educator Award.
Julie Underwood, dean of the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison received the Friend of the Horace Mann League Award.
The Horace Mann League’s nearly 600 members include distinguished educators who are devoted to the principles of a sound public education for all students, whatever their social, economic, or other backgrounds. Horace Mann has long been heralded as the founder of public education.
Edelman was lauded at the meeting as being “one of the best friends public education has ever had.” She has long insisted that all children receive a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start. Her acceptance remarks can be viewed at http://youtu.be/jnrJSUHoxGM. Cuban, a veteran urban school superintendent, who served in Arlington, Virginia, prior to joining the Stanford faculty, had taught in both Cleveland and Washington, D.C. Cuban is a noted education researcher. Underwood, a past-president of the Horace Mann League, has become a significant voice for public education nationwide.
During the Nashville meeting, Board member James Harvey provided a progress report on international indicators influencing education in several countries. That project involves a collaboration between the Horace Mann League and the National Superintendents Roundtable.
Speaker at the HML meeting was Jeff Charbonneau, 2014 National Teacher of the Year. Charbonneau teaches chemistry, science, and engineering at Zillah High School in Zillah, Washington.
Ambassador Awards, based on member recruitment, went to Brent Clark, IL; Mark Edwards, NC; Charles Fowler, NH; and Christine Johns-Haines, MI. Edwards, HML president during 2012, was 2013 National Superintendent of the Year.
New Horace Mann League Board members include Laurie Barron, superintendent of the Evergreen School District in Kalispell, Montana; Kevin Maxwell, chief executive officer of the Prince George’s County Schools in Upper Marlboro, Maryland; and Steven Webb, superintendent of the Vancouver School District in Vancouver, Washington.
Joe Hairston, former superintendent of the Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland and now president of Vision Unlimited, became immediate past president of the Horace Mann League at the conclusion of the meeting. Charles Fowler, executive director of Suburban School Superintendents became president-elect, and Christine Johns-Haines, superintendent of the Utica Community Schools in Michigan, became vice president. Gary Marx, president of the Center for Public Outreach in Vienna, Virginia, and a longtime education leader and author, became 2014 president of the organization. Jack McKay is HML executive director.
by Gary Marx