Communities In Schools President Dan Cardinali Appointed to President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

ARLINGTON, Va., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools, the leading organization dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life, announced that Daniel Cardinali, President of Communities In Schools, has been appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. In this capacity, Cardinali will provide guidance to President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on education policy relating to the Hispanic community.  

Cardinali has served as President of Communities In Schools since 2004. Prior to his current role, Cardinali held the position of Executive Vice President of Field Operations at Communities In Schools. His background as a community organizer has helped the organization continue its steady and measured growth, establish its voice in national educational policy debates, and launch an organization-wide quality improvement campaign. Cardinali holds a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master's degree in philosophy from Fordham University. Cardinali gained invaluable experience with Hispanic culture when he served as a community organizer in Guadalajara, Mexico. During his time there, he was part of a team that organized a "squatter" community of 120,000 to secure land rights, running water and public education.

"Hispanic youth make up the largest single demographic of the 1.35 million young people we serve at Communities In Schools," said Cardinali. "As a member of the President's Commission, I will be speaking for those young people, advancing policies to empower them to stay in school and succeed in life."

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics director Juan Sepulveda said Cardinali's experience as a community leader and organizer will help the Commission find new ways to increase Latino educational attainment, which is important in the global contest for the jobs and industries of the future.

"Dan's work in the community will help provide invaluable insight to strengthen our country. Hispanic students have graduated at lower rates than the rest of the population for years, making America's progress impossible if they continue to lag behind," said Sepulveda. "Strengthening and improving educational excellence in this community isn't just a Hispanic problem, it's a challenge for our entire country."

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans encompasses the federal government's efforts for education and local involvement in education. Cardinali was sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor Thursday, May 26th at the Smithsonian Castle.

Other individuals appointed by President Obama to the Commission include Eduardo J. Padron (chair) and Cesar Conde of Fla.; Francisco G. Cigarroa., Ricardo Romo, Sylvia Acevedo and JoAnn Gama of Texas; Darline P. Robles and Patricia Gandara of Calif.; Alicia Abella and Marta Tienda of N.J.; Luis R. Fraga of Wash.; Maria Neira and Lisette Nieves of N.Y.; Manny Sanchez of Ill.; and Alfredo J. Artiles of Ariz.

About Communities In Schools

Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through a school-based coordinator, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources, tailored to local needs. Working in more than 3,400 schools in the most challenged communities, in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves nearly 1.3 million young people and their families every year. It is the only dropout prevention organization proven to both increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rates. Visit our website at www.communitiesinschools.org.

SOURCE Communities In Schools