SAN DIEGO – Boston Public Schools Committee member Michael O’Neill received the Green-Garner Award, at the Council of the Great City Schools’ 67th Annual Fall Conference.

Sponsored by the Council and global children’s publishing, education, and media company Scholastic, the award is presented annually in memory of Richard R. Green, the first African American chancellor of the New York City school system and former Denver school board member, Edward Garner.

As the winner of the award, O’Neill was presented with a $10,000 college scholarship to  give to a Boston public school student.

A graduate of Boston Latin School, O’Neill has been on the Boston School Committee for 15 years, serving as chair from 2013-2017. During his tenure, the largest school district in Massachusetts invested in strategic priorities such as early childhood education and increased social-emotional support for students.

Since 2020, O’Neill has served as the Committee’s vice chair, where he has worked to improve the quality and stability of the district’s leadership and governance.

O’Neill has also been influential in making improvements to urban education on a national scale. In 2020, he served as chair of the Council’s Board of Directors. In addition, he was integral in the creation of a professional development program at Harvard Business School to accelerate the performance of urban school governance boards nationwide.

“People ask why do we do what we do,” said O’Neill upon receiving the award. “And I always say we never do it for the pay or the praise. But we face those tough decisions. And… we must remember why we do this, whose lives we impact. And how together we can improve the educational opportunities for the millions of students the Council serves. And I’m honored to do this work together with all of you.”

Queen Smith Award

Christina Kirk, a teacher in Oklahoma City Public Schools, was the winner of the 2023 Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban Education. Sponsored by McGraw-Hill, the $5,000 award is presented to a teacher who has made significant contributions to education and to the community.

Dr. Shirley S. Schwartz Urban Education Impact Award

The NYC Men Teach Program, which recruits and retains male teachers of color in the New York City school system, was the 2023 recipient of the Dr. Shirley S. Schwartz Urban Education Impact Award. The award honors an outstanding partnership between a university and an urban school district that has had a positive and significant impact on student learning.