EL Education Chief Schools Officer Mark Conrad Named Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow

NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Conrad, Chief Schools Officer of EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning), a leading preK-12 non-profit organization with two decades of success in transforming student learning, has been named a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow by the Pahara Institute, together with the Aspen Institute. The Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship program recognizes exceptional leaders whose organizations have improved public education for underserved communities.

"We are at a pivotal time in education that requires a national effort to ensure that all students have the deeper learning skills and knowledge to succeed in college, career and life. Like our partners in the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship, EL Education is focused on ensuring excellence and equity for all children. I am excited to share best practices and work with the brilliant minds within this unique forum to move our collective mission forward," Conrad said.

As Chief Schools Officer of EL Education, Conrad oversees the organization's national network of 150 schools and supports literacy partnerships with districts across the country implementing EL Education's open source, award-winning English Language Arts curriculum. Over the past two years, Conrad has led the expansion of the organization's impact with its highly sought-after professional services with thousands of teachers and school leaders within and beyond its network of 150 schools. Conrad also has led the design and development EL Education's credentialing process to support school partners in monitoring progress toward EL's expanded definition of student achievement. 

Prior to joining EL Education, Conrad founded The Crossroads School, a public charter school in Baltimore, Maryland where he served as principal from 2002 to 2007. During this time, The Crossroads School was among the highest performing middle schools in Baltimore City and became a model for student-engaged assessment, positive student culture and data-based leadership.

About the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship
The Pahara-Aspen Fellowship is a partnership between the Pahara and Aspen Institutes. Pahara-Aspen Fellows become part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, which currently includes nearly 2000 Fellows from 49 countries who are collectively making tremendous positive change in the world. Each year, the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship brings together leaders from across the country in a forum where they can challenge each other to think beyond traditional silos and sector boundaries to develop strategies that enhance their effectiveness as leaders, address leadership challenges in public education, and accelerate the improvements needed to provide high quality learning opportunities for all of our nation's children. Criteria for selection to this program include a proven track record of exceptional success in educational excellence and demonstrated potential for greater leadership at the highest levels of civic, government, and business responsibility.

About EL Education 
EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning) is a leading K-12 non-profit that is meeting the national challenge to raise student achievement across diverse schools and communities. Combining challenging work with the joy of discovery and pride in mastery, EL Education prepares students to become contributing citizens with both the skills and character necessary for success throughout college, work and life.

Founded 23 years ago with 10 schools through a joint venture of Outward Bound and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, EL Education today partners with hundreds of schools, focusing on three dimensions of student achievement: mastery of knowledge and skills, strong character, and high quality student work. Mathematica Policy Research found statistically significant positive impacts in both reading and math among EL Education middle-school students, performing months ahead of their peers.

EL Education's portfolio of instructional materials and coaching services draws on 20-plus years of success in more than 150 schools in its network, serving 4,000 teachers and 50,000 students in 30 states.  Its free, open-source English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum has been downloaded more than 6 million times across the country. Based on founding principles of meaningful work, character and respect for teachers, EL Education's offerings transform teaching and learning to promote habits of scholarship and character that lead to high student achievement, regardless of student background. EL Education students demonstrate critical thinking, intellectual courage and emotional resilience and possess the passion and the capacity to contribute to a better world. For more information, visit www.ELeducation.org.

SOURCE EL Education

Related Links

http://eleducation.org