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Finalists Named for Urban Educator of the Year

 

FOR RELEASE CONTACT: Tonya Harris

October 3, 2024 tharris@cgcs.org

 

Finalists Named for Urban Educator of the Year

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 – The Council of the Great City Schools is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 Green-Garner Award, the nation’s highest honor in urban education leadership. 

Sponsored by the Council and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, the award is presented annually to either an outstanding urban school superintendent or school board member, in alternate years. 

“The superintendents who are this year’s finalists have helped spearhead the comeback and progress of the nation’s urban schools,” said Council Executive Director Ray Hart. “These remarkable individuals have worked tirelessly to help our schoolchildren meet the highest educational standards, and we thank them for their leadership, commitment, and service. Congratulations!”

The five finalists for the 2024 Green-Garner Award are: 

• Romules Durant, CEO/Superintendent, Toledo Public Schools
• Errick L. Greene, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools
• Roger León, Superintendent, Newark Public Schools
• Alex Marrero, Superintendent, Denver Public Schools
• Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools

The finalists were selected by a distinguished panel of current and former superintendents and school board members. The candidates were evaluated based on their work in improving student achievement and narrowing achievement gaps, demonstrated leadership and governance skills, and efforts to boost the public’s confidence in their respective school districts.

The Green-Garner Award is presented each year in memory of Richard R. Green, the first African-American chancellor of the New York City school system, and businessman Edward Garner, who served on the Denver school board.

The 2024 Urban Educator of the Year will be announced at the Green-Garner Award Banquet on Oct. 17 in Dallas,during the Council’s 68th Annual Fall Conference, hosted by the Dallas Independent School District. The winner will receive a $10,000 college scholarship to present to a graduating senior from their school system. 

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About the Council of the Great City Schools:

The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Comprising 78 large-city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. The organization also provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information and collectively address new challenges as they emerge, in order to deliver the best possible education for urban youth. www.cgcs.org