For Immediate Release
Monday, November 22, 2010
America’s Promise Alliance Names Nation’s Top Superintendent to Lead Grad Nation Initiative
Dr. Elizabeth Morgan Will Oversee Execution of 10-Year Grad Nation Plan
(WASHINGTON, DC)—America’s Promise Alliance (the Alliance), the nation’s largest partnership network dedicated to improving the lives of young people, today announced that Elizabeth “Betty” Molina Morgan, PhD, former superintendent of Washington County Schools in Maryland and 2010 American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year, has been named Executive Director of the Alliance’s Grad Nation initiative. Founded in 1997, the Alliance is currently chaired by Mrs. Alma Powell and its founding chairman is General Colin Powell. Dr. Morgan will begin work in March 2011.
“Betty’s experience is truly all-encompassing and will provide the kind of guidance to make sure our work resonates with all communities and serves all young people,” said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO, America’s Promise Alliance. “Having worked in and led school districts in rural, suburban, and urban areas, Betty has a keen understanding of the challenges our children are facing and her holistic approach to serving young people aligns perfectly with our Five Promises and community approach to addressing the dropout crisis.”
In this role, Dr. Morgan will lead the execution of the Grad Nation work over the next ten years which is focused on mobilizing all Americans to see their stake in the dropout crisis and take action to reverse it. This will include working closely with education leaders at the national, state, and local levels to support school turnaround work; as well as encouraging them to collaborate and work closely with community and business leaders to help bring more essential health, life and academic supports to the nation’s most vulnerable young people.
Dr. Morgan has spent 30+ years working in all facets (inner-city, rural and suburban) of public education. She has spent the last nine years as superintendent of Washington County Schools in Hagerstown, MD from which she retired recently. She led the system, a high-poverty, Appalachian mountain district, to move from 80 percent to 92 percent graduation rate. Prior to that she was chief academic officer with the Baltimore City Public Schools and held several roles including associate superintendent, principal of two schools and other positions in Frederick and Montgomery County Schools.
Dr. Morgan is credited with helping bring significant innovations and improvements to the Washington County School System including: launching a revamped data system to track student success and academic needs; enhanced salary schedules for teachers and created a Center for Peak Performance and Productivity to support staff development; curriculum revisions to bring more rigor to the classroom and improve performance; implementation of magnet programs and improvements at the county’s Technical High School. Dr. Morgan also implemented the International Baccalaureate program and increased the number of Advanced Placement classes and programs available for students.
During her years as superintendent, several of Washington County’s high schools were ranked by US News and World Report and Newsweek as among the best in the country.
“It has been a personal honor and passion to serve the students and families throughout Maryland for a number of years and I’m thrilled to be continuing that work to help benefit young people nationwide through America’s Promise Alliance’s Grad Nation initiative,” said Dr. Morgan. “I truly believe that in order for young people to succeed academically, we must hold them to high standards and support them to meet our expectations.”
A native New Yorker, Dr. Morgan holds numerous degrees including a Bachelors and Masters in English Literature and Curriculum Development from Queens College. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration as well as a Professional Diploma in the Teaching of Reading from Hofstra University where she was part of their Bilingual Fellowship Program. She also holds a Ph.D. from American University in Administration.
Dr. Morgan is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence throughout her career. In addition to her current title as National Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Morgan was also named Washington County’s 2007 Person of the Year by The Herald-Mail and one of Maryland’s ‘Top 100 Women” by the Daily Record newspaper in 2001, 2005, and 2007. She is the past recipient of the Maryland State Senate Award for State Leadership in Gifted Education and the Nancy Grasmick Excellence for Minority Achievement Award.
“AASA is very proud of Dr. Elizabeth Morgan, our 2010 National Superintendent of the Year. Her leadership in Washington County, MD, has transformed that community and its schools. Her students have enjoyed the high quality education that they deserve,” said Daniel Domenech, executive director, American Association of School Administrators. “Her selection for a leadership role with America's Promise’s Grad Nation will allow her to be a valuable resource to the many schools around the country that will be seeking assistance in transforming their schools as Dr. Morgan did in Washington County. We look forward to working with her in this new endeavor. “
Dr. Morgan’s legacy in public education in Maryland will continue following her retirement through a college scholarship she developed in her name to be awarded annually to a deserving Washington County Public Schools female graduate with academic promise. The scholarship was announced earlier this year and is in conjunction with the American Association of School Administrators, ARAMARK Education and ING.
In an effort to raise awareness of America’s high school dropout crisis, the Alliance introduced the Dropout Prevention Campaign in April 2008. To date, more than 100 high-level Dropout Prevention summits have been held nationwide – bringing together nearly 40,000 mayors and governors, business and civic leaders, child advocates, school administrators, students, and parents to develop workable solutions and action plans around the dropout crisis. This past March, with the support of President Obama and US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the Alliance launched the second phase of this work called Grad Nation to mobilize America to action, with a goal of ending the dropout crisis within the decade.
To learn more about the Alliance’s Grad Nation Initiative visit: http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation.aspx
###
About America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth by raising awareness, supporting communities, and engaging in nonpartisan advocacy. Through our Grad Nation campaign, we harness the collective power of our partner network to mobilize Americans to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. Building on the legacy of our Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success of our young people is grounded in the Five Promises—caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others. For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.