Eleven School Superintendents Nominated for Prestigious Richard R. Green Award

The Council of the Great City Schools, ARAMARK Education, and Voyager Expanded Learning to Present Award in Urban Excellence

Eleven school superintendents have been nominated to receive the Richard R. Green Award in Urban Excellence, it was announced today by The Council of the Great City Schools, ARAMARK Education, and Voyager Expanded Learning. The award will be presented to one of the 11 nominees during this year’s 52nd Annual Fall Conference of the Council of the Great City Schools in Houston, Texas, October 22 – 26, 2008.

The nominees for this year’s award are: Carol S. Comeau, Anchorage School District (Alaska); Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Austin Independent School District (Texas); Eugene T.W. Saunders, Cleveland Metro School District (Ohio); Gene T. Harris, Columbus Public Schools (Ohio); Michael E. Hanson, Fresno Unified School District (California); MaryEllen Elia, Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida); Eugene G. White, Indianapolis Public Schools (Indiana); Christopher J. Steinhauser, Long Beach Unified School District (California); John Mackiel, Omaha Public Schools (Nebraska); Ronald Blocker, Orange County Public Schools (Florida); Arthur C. Johnson, Palm Beach School District (Florida).

The Richard R. Green Award in Urban Excellence is bestowed upon a past or present member district superintendent or Board of Education member in recognition of exceptional contributions to urban schools and students. Considered the nation’s highest urban education honor, the award pays tribute to the memory of Richard R. Green, former Minneapolis and New York City Public Schools superintendent, who won distinction as an outstanding educator and leader. The Council of the Great City Schools and ARAMARK Education have worked in partnership to sponsor this award since 1992.

“We congratulate the nominees for their dedication and commitment to our youth and to education, and for demonstrating Dr. Green’s leadership principles,” said Dennis Maple, president of ARAMARK Education. “ARAMARK Education is honored to continue our proud tradition of support for the Richard R. Green Award and the Council of the Great City Schools.”

This year’s recipient will receive a special Richard R. Green award expressing the history and ideals of Dr. Green and a $10,000 college scholarship for presentation to a senior in the winner’s school system or the system from which the winner graduated.

The Council of the Great City Schools is a coalition of 66 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems.