WSU Honors Gene Sharratt
Congratulations to Gene Sharratt, WSPEF's Partnership for School Leadership Project Field Manager, who recently received Washington State University's Alumni Achievement Award. Sharratt was honored March 14 in Wenatchee at a gathering of WSU alumni and friends as "an educator who cares about others and does something positive to help the personal conditions of children."
After earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education from WSU in 1972, he taught at most grade levels in Alaska and Washington, and at the International School in Stavanger, Norway. He completed a Ph.D. in education at WSU in 1983, and was elementary school principal in Naches, assistant superintendent in Yelm, and superintendent in Chehalis. During his 11 years as superintendent of the North Central ESD in Wenatchee, he was credited with building the service district into a major educational institution. He retired last June.
Sharratt founded "Kids First," a youth advocacy group that helps children of needy families in the Wenatchee area by purchasing school materials and clothing, even glasses. He foresaw the need to prepare the work force in north central Washington with modern skills and marshaled area leaders in support of the Community Technology Center in Wenatchee.
In 1998-1999, he initiated "Honor By Listening," a project where high school students read NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw's book, "The Greatest Generation Ever," and then they interviewed World War II veterans as the news anchor had. In addition, he is responsible for more than 200 Intermountain AmeriCorps volunteers, who tutor Native American and Hispanic children in 29 different school districts in Washington.
Sharratt holds numerous teaching and community leadership awards, including the WSU College of Education "Outstanding Teacher Award" in 1982. He also has published more than 80 papers and articles in professional journals.
WSU's Alumni Achievement Award was created in 1970 by the Alumni Association Board of Directors "to recognize and honor alumni who have given outstanding service... and provide encouragement to alumni for perpetual service to Washington State University." To date, more than 400 Alumni have been recognized with the award.
AWSP and the Washington Principals Education Foundation are exceedingly fortunate to share in Gene's time and talents. Congratulations, Gene, on this remarkable lifetime achievement!
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Good Reads
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Rural Education in America
The latest edition of the State Education Standard focuses on the unique challenges facing rural schools and suggests ways in which states can help students in these communities. The issue includes an article by U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announcing the creation of a new Rural Education Caucus.
www.nasbe.org/Standard/index.html
U.S. Pupils Lead Most in Literacy Study
Fourth-graders in the United States score better in reading than many of their peers around the world, but the nation's poor and minority students still lag behind other U.S. learners, a new international study shows. Students in U.S. public schools outperformed those in 23 of 34 other countries in the project, known as the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study of 2001. Those countries ranged from top scorers, including Sweden and England, to such lower performers as Iran and Kuwait. Among the highlights: (1) 65 percent of U.S. students received more than six hours of reading instruction a week, compared with the international average of 28 percent. Almost all U.S. students attended schools that emphasized reading, while 78 percent of students internationally did; (2) Girls scored higher than boys in reading in all the countries; (3) Within the United States, white and Asian students led blacks and Hispanics. Each U.S. racial and ethnic group scored above the international average except blacks; (4) U.S. students in private schools scored significantly higher than those in public schools.
Also, U.S. students in high-poverty schools scored lower than their counterparts in low-poverty schools.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60076-2003Apr8.html
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The Leading Edge
"Doing your best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."
Oprah Winfrey, talk-show host and media maven
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About The Partnership For Leadership Grant
The Partnership for Leadership Grant is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to the Washington School Principals Education Foundation (WSPEF), a partner with the Association of Washington School Principals. The grant will provide principal recruiting and professional development activities in 52 districts in eastern Washington that serve high percentages of children living in poverty.
The goal of the grant is to increase student achievement in high-need schools by collaboratively recruiting, training and mentoring principals in job-embedded, performance-based instructional and community leadership and systems management.
