The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to Host Program on Education Governance and Leadership

ATLANTA, Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series will host an education program on February 21, 2011, with national experts discussing school district governance and leadership needs for the 21st century.

"With APS seeking a new superintendent and the school board confronted with the potential loss of accreditation, the community must work together to explore and identify new and better approaches to governance and leadership," said Penelope McPhee, president of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. "The event will help us promote community conversation on these issues."

The Speaker Series event will be available via webcast beginning at 6 p.m. ET on February 21. Click here for more information on the webcast (or go to http://blankfoundation.org/news/SpeakerSeries.html). Space at the live event is limited. To inquire about available seating, contact [email protected] at the foundation.

The foundation is producing the event in partnership with the Atlanta Business Chronicle, which is exploring governance and leadership innovations in its editorial coverage and online features.

Faced with increased international competition, shrinking budgets and persistent achievement gaps, communities around the country are rethinking what they need to build great school systems. Some are recruiting business executives or military officers to lead school districts. Some are doing away with elected school boards and moving to mayoral control. Some are overhauling not just superintendent job descriptions but also the way teachers are recruited, evaluated and compensated.

Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, will moderate the program, "Education Leadership for the 21st Century"

Program participants include:

• Sarah Carr, Times-Picayune education reporter and Spencer Journalism Education Fellow
• Andres Alonso, CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools
• Gerard Robinson, Virginia Secretary of Education
• Mark D. Musick, President Emeritus, Southern Regional Education Board

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series:

By convening individuals around issues, innovations and ideas that will shape the quality of life for families in Atlanta and beyond, the Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series aspires to spur civic action and citizen involvement for positive change in people's lives. Visit the Foundation's web site for more information. (www.BlankFoundation.org)

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation:

The Foundation promotes positive change in people's lives and helps them build and enhance the communities in which they live. The Foundation has an especially strong interest in supporting innovative endeavors leading to better circumstances for low-income youth and their families. Through its Pathways to Success education initiative, the Foundation has invested $16 million in efforts to enhance student achievement. The Foundation is active in local collaborations designed to strengthen public education, including the Atlanta Education Fund, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce's Education Committee and Voices for Georgia's Children.

SOURCE The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation