Table of Contents

Biography of Horace Mann
2003 Outstanding Friend of Public Education
2003 Outstanding Public Educator
2003 Outstanding Friend of the Horace Mann League
2003 Ambassador Awards Recipients
Factors Impacting on Public Education: 2003 Survey Results
Horace Mann League Offices and Directors

Biography of Horace Mann

Horace Mann

Horace Mann was a noted educator born in Franklin, Massachusetts. Horace Mann lived from 1796 until 1859. During these sixty-three years, Horace Mann had a distinguished legal and political career. As a practicing lawyer, Horace Mann served as both a representative and state senator in the legislature. One of his many accomplishments included the establishment of a State Board of Education.

 Horace Mann served as the secretary to the board of education. Through this vehicle, he was able to affect public opinion regarding school problems and to create public support for increasing the pay of teachers. He advocated the improvement of teacher training through the founding of state teacher-training schools.

 In 1843 Mann visited European schools and compared educational positions and strategies. When he returned he aroused anger in conservative American educators by celebrating such features of European education as the suppression of corporal punishment. He also opposed religious based education. These issues only worked to awaken public sentiment for reform of the public school system. On this political platform, Horace Mann led a movement to structure a free public education system.

Presented to an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the improvement of public education in their community, state, or the United States.

Larry Dlugosh, President-elect of the Horace Mann League, presenting the Friend of Public Education Award to Mary Ellen Fitsgerald of the Wallace Readers’ Digest Fund Board of Directors.

Presented to an educator that has made significant contributions to the growth and improvement of public education in their community, state, or the United States.

Ted Sanders, President of the Education Commission of the States and Ben Canada, Past President of the Horace Mann League.

Presented to a member who has made significant contributions to growth and prestige of the Horace Mann League

Art Stellar, President of the Horace Mann League, presenting the Outstanding Friend Award to Ken Bird

Presented to those who recruit ten or more new members into the Horace Mann League during the past year.

Art Stellar, Walt Warfield, Spike Jorgensen, Jane Hammond, Susan Purser, and Colleen Wilcox

By Jack McKay, Executive Director of the Horace Mann League.

The Horace Mann League's annual survey of "Factors Impacting Public School Reform" was distributed, via e-mail, nationwide, to approximately 250 public school superintendents, professors of school administration, building level administrators and administrators in leadership roles in professional education associations in November 2002. There were 142 responses, representing a fairly even distribution from across the United States. When analyzing the data there were no major differences in rankings when considering region, size of district or years of administrative experience.

 Participants in the Horace Mann League survey were asked to consider a list of 12 factors that may have an impact on the improvement of their community's public schools. From the 12 factors, participants were asked to select six factors representing their best use of the resources they would have available in an ideal situation (e.g., time, energy, funding, political support, professional reputation, leadership expertise, etc.). The six factors chosen would represent the six silver bullets they would have available during their tenure as a school leader. The following results reflect the ranking by percentage of times selected.

The first would be preparing educators to successfully implement instructional strategies that meet or exceed local, state, and/or national achievement standards.

Comment: While there may be a growing concern over the methods and criteria related to accountability, particularly "No Child Left Behind" legislation, there appears to be strong consensus among educational leaders that the challenge is successfully organizing curriculum and instructional practices, recruiting and developing teachers and principals, and making data driven decisions that result in improving their students' academic performance scores. There appears to be little doubt that results regarding student achievement are what are implied as the quality of the public school. Paris (2000) points out that that there is disagreement on the values of high stakes testing. Paris content it causes students to work harder and learn more in preparation for the test, guides teachers and students toward what needs to be learned, and provides information on how well the curriculum is being taught. Other educators claim it encourages low level learning, misdirects student motivation, and may not be aligned with the curriculum being taught.

The second priority would be providing preschool services and parenting skill training programs to all families.

Comment: There is a growing concern among school leaders that many young children are starting school without the basic social skills and learning abilities essential to a good start in school. The challenge will be to effectively show community leaders how long-term change in student achievement in the public schools is directly related to effective preschool experiences. Jacobson (2001) found that "that children participating in Early Head Start programs scored higher on tests of cognitive development than those in a control group of other children …"

The factor ranked third was providing information for aspiring, new, and veteran school board members about their roles and responsibilities as effective policy makers.

Comment: Often, in superintendent-school board relations, there is tension surrounding who is to make the policies and who is to administer those policies. The challenge is to nurture a trusting relationship between board members and the superintendent and his or her staff. Continually recognizing the fine line between policy and administration is critical to a sustained school improvement process. The National School Boards Association lists twelve behaviors by school board members that cause conflict with superintendents. All twelve relate back to understanding the responsibilities of school board members. Likewise there is a list of twelve superintendent behaviors that typically cause mistrust with the school board. These range from unequal treatment of board members to mismanagement or misinformation about the school budget.

The fourth factor was sustaining a community-wide consensus about the goals for their public schools.

Comment: Over half of the participants in the Horace Mann League Survey would use one of their silver bullets to build a community-wide consensus about the goals of the public schools. There are strongly held values along with a sense of entitlement about deciding how the public schools should be operated and how the curriculum is taught. Gerzon (1996) states that building a consensus about the primary beliefs of an organization, state, or nation, is the major challenge facing leaders. Consensus and coalition building around the primary goals of their public schools creates a sense of unity and direction that lead to a common set of criteria for measuring school improvement. While the other five items are important, if community consensus can be achieved, most other factors will be much easier to solve.

The fifth factor was providing information for legislators and state level policy makers about accountability (high stakes testing) and the resulting impact on lasting school improvement.

Comment: The rush for accountability and testing of students and implication that scores relate to the quality of schooling are counterproductive. That's like saying that we should judge doctors on their patient's health, lawyers on their client's behavior, and dentists on their patient's teeth. There just isn't the research data to support the massive testing of students that is now mandates across the nation. Testing is a good idea if and when the results are used to allocate the resources. Testing is a hoax if the results only implying that some teachers and some schools are better than others. We already know which children need the extra help. Just ask a kindergarten teacher after the first day of the school year. Recent research by Amrein and Berliner (2002) indicate that there is no relationship between statewide high stakes testing and improved student achievement.

The sixth most important factor was providing sufficient health care, nutritional needs, and protection from abuse, for all children.

Comments: Students will not learn if they are sick or in need of medical services. They won't learn if they come to school hungry or not eating healthy foods. And, they certainly won't be learning much if they are suffering from physical or mental abuse. Most everyone will agree that children must first be reasonably healthy and safe before any significant learning takes place. Most everyone also knows that there is a strong relationship between poverty and inadequate health care, nutrition, and abuse and lower student academic success. The National Center for Educational Statistics (2002) issued a report that the child's health status is one of the basic foundations in successful learning. Children who have difficulties with their health in general may be less able to participate in the classroom, may be prone to more frequent absences, and therefore may be at-risk learners; whereas, children with sound general health may be at an advantage."

Summary: School leaders who took part in the Annual Survey of Factors Impacting of School Improvement identified six areas they believed would significantly improve their local public schools. If these school leaders had the resources (e.g., funds, political influence, professional reputation and expertise, etc.) they would (1) recruit and nurture educators who know how to help students learn and meet standards, (2) provide opportunities for parents to learn more about preparing their children for schooling, (3) provide continuing opportunities for school board members to better understand their role as policy makers, (4) bring the divergent groups together about the primary goals and importance of their community's quality public schools, (5) provide opportunities for legislators and state level policy makers to learn more about the long-term impact on high stakes testing, and (g) ensure proper health care, provide health foods, and reduce physical and mental abuse of children.

Now, in the real world, what can school leaders reasonably accomplish, particularly in the six areas mentioned above? Each of the six individual factors listed above can be an overwhelming challenge, let alone all six or even the original twelve. In an era of very limited resources, just making a small gain in one area over a year may seem insignificant, but over a period of five or ten years, maybe some real change can take place in a school district.

From the original list of twelve factors, the following six factors are ranked in the second tier factors:

7th Modern and sufficient school facilities and equipment.

8th Rewards to educators willing to be innovative and creative in implementing "best practices" to increase student achievement.

9th Information for the media to understand and support the unique challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of an effective school system for all children.

10th An extended school day and school year for all students.

11th Rewards for excellence in teaching and leadership.

12th Incentives for marginal teachers and administrators to seek other career opportunities.

In taking the broad-brush approach, it appears that the first six factors represent the school leader's ability to work with and through others to help children. The school leader that pulls the community together on the importance of quality schools, helps the school board set long-term goals, and articulates a vision that motivates citizens and educators to provide quality programs and services for all children will be the educational statesman.

On the other hand, the second tier factors might represent more cosmetic issues to be addressed. They are nice, but in the long run, will accomplishing each of the second six factors cause a more substantive change in teaching and learning students?

The "flashy" superintendent may change the light bulbs in order to see the way to better public schools in few years, but it is the "statesman" superintendent who will bring the community along to better schools over a sustained period of years.

References:

Amrein, A.L. & Berliner, D.C. (2002, March 28). High-stakes testing, uncertainty, and student learning. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10(18). Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n18/.

Gerzon, M. (1996). A house divided: Six belief systems struggling for America's soul. New York: Putnam.

Paris, S. G. "Trojan horse in the schoolyard: The hidden threats in high-stakes testing." Issues in Education 6, nos. 1-2 (2000): 1-16.

Jacobson, Linda, (2001), Study: Early head start raises parenting skills, Children's learning. Education Week, January 24, 2001.

Denton, K. & West. J. (2002). Children's reading and mathematics achievement in kindergarten and first grade. National Center for Educational Statistics. (NCES 2002125). http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/kindergarten/

National School Boards Association (no date) Dealing with conflict. http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/Conflict.html

Officers
President: Dr. Larry Dlugosh, Dept. Chair, Ed. Ad.. University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 143 TEAC Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588
(402) 472 3726, ldlugosh1@unl.edu

President-elect: Dr. Spike Jorgensen, Educational Consultant, Box 132,
Tok, AK, 99780
(907) 883 5331, spike@pobox.com

Vice President: Dr. John Simpson, Supt. of Schools, Norfolk Public Schools
P.O. Box 1357, Norfolk, VA 23501
757 441 2107, jsimpson@nps.k12.va.us

Past President: Dr. Art Stellar, President, High Scope, 600 N. River Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898
(734) 485 2000, adjmstel@aol.com

Board of Directors

Dr. John Anderson, Superintendent, Los Alamos Public Schools
Los Alamos, NM

Dr. Cryss Brunner, Assoc. Professor, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Dr. Richard Christie, Superintendent, Council Bluffs Community Schools
Council Bluffs, IA

Dr. Mark Edwards, Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools
Richmond, VA

Dr. George Garcia, Superintendent, Boulder Valley Public Schools
Boulder, CO

Dr. Fred Hartmeister, Associate Dean, Texas Tech. University
Lubbock, TX

Dr. Vern Moore, Superintendent, University City Public Schools
University City, MO

Dr. Douglas Otto, Superintendent, Plano Independent School District
Plano, TX

Dr. Susan Purser, Superintendent, Pontotoc City Public Schools,
Pontotoc, MS

Dr. Steve Rasmussen, Superintendent, Franklin Pierce School District
Tacoma, WA

Dr. Walt Warfield, Executive Dir., Illinois Assoc. of School Adm.
Springfield, IL

Dr. Colleen Wilcox, Superintendent, Santa Clara County Schools
San Jose, CA

Executive Director

Dr. Jack McKay, Professor, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE

Office:

The Horace Mann League of the USA
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182-0162
(402) 554 2210 phone
(402) 554 2722 FAX Cell (402) 850 0034

jmckay@mail.unomaha.edu