2008-2009 - Council of the Great City Schools

Council of the Great City Schools
2008-2009 ANNUAL REPORT

Executive Committee - 2008-2009
OFFICERS
Chair of the Board
William Isler, Pittsburgh School Board
Chair-elect
Carol Johnson, Boston Superintendent
Secretary-Treasurer
Dilafruz Williams, Portland School Board
Immediate Past Chair
Carol Comeau, Anchorage Superintendent
MEMBERS
William Andrekopoulos, Milwaukee Superintendent
Winston Brooks, Albuquerque Superintendent
Meria Carstarphen, Saint Paul Superintendent
Eileen Cooper Reed, Cincinnati School Board
James Driggers, Norfolk School Board
Yolie Flores Aguilar, Los Angeles School Board
Pascal Forgione, Austin Superintendent
Jerrelle Francois, Baltimore School Board
Carlos Garcia, San Francisco Superintendent
Stephanie Gatewood, Memphis School Board
Terry Grier, San Diego Superintendent
Beverly Hall, Atlanta Superintendent
Michael Hinojosa, Dallas Superintendent
Lydia Lee, Minneapolis School Board
Mona McGregor, Omaha School Board
Candy Olson, Hillsborough County School Board
Theresa Pena, Denver School Board
James Williams, Buffalo Superintendent
Vacant
Vacant
Deborah Shanley, Brooklyn College CUNY Dean, Ex Officio
Cover Photos: Top (L-R) : Student from Jackson Public Schools; Student from Long Beach Unified School District
Cover Photos: Bottom (L-R): Student from Boston Public Schools; Student from Denver Public Schools
Table of Contents Page: Students from Jackson Public Schools
Page 3 Photo: Student and mother from Sacramento Unified Schoool District • Page 4 Photo: Students from Rochester City School District
Page 6 Photo: Student from Buffalo Public Schools • Page 8 Photo: Students from Dallas Independent School District
Page 9 Photo: Students from San Diego Unified School District • Page 21 Photo: Student from Denver Public Schools
Page 23 Photo: Student from Newark Public Schools (Photo Credit: Howard Best)

Table of Contents
1
Message from the Chair
2
Message from the Director
4
About the Council
6
Vision
8
Organizational Structure
10
Characteristics of the Great City Schools
11
Annual Fall Conference
12
Legislative/Policy Conference
14
Highlights of Council Activities
18
Award Programs
20
Financial Report
21
Sponsors
22
Publications
23
Council Staff
Report Prepared by:
Tonya Harris, Communications Manager & Henry Duvall, Director of Communications
Photography by Alex Jones & Clarence Tabb Jr.

Message from the Chair
June 30, 2009
F
or more than 50 years, the Council of the
Great City Schools has represented America’s
largest urban schools in Washington D.C.
The Council is recognized as one of the premier
advocacy organizations for children and public
education. It has a reputation that is well deserved,
based on hard work, consistency of mission, and a
dedicated staff who never forgets they are working
on behalf of America’s children.
This year the Council had the privilege of leading its
members to meet with U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan and members of his staff at the White
House for a briefing on the federal stimulus bill and
to discuss the Administration’s education agenda
for urban districts. It is because of the Council’s
research, analysis of public policy, and constant
focusing on achievement that government and
education leaders seek its advice and guidance.
As always, the Council provides support and services
to its member districts by conducting research and
publishing results that assist districts in increasing
student achievement, focusing on high school reform
and developing effective staff development programs.
School board members and superintendents are
informed about federal legislation, proposed federal
administrative rule making, as well as other issues
that help with informed governance and how board
members can meet their responsibilities as public
officials.
As members, all of us benefit from individual
questions to Council staff about the complex issues
we face in our districts. We trust the advice and
guidance we receive because of the confidence we
have in the Council staff, led by Executive Director
Michael Casserly, who is the first to recognize the
exceptional individuals that he works with every
day. They are a very dedicated group of people, who
are always responsive, willing to help, and follow up
quickly and efficiently. My respect for the work of
the Council is because of the exceptional leadership
and the daily work they do for all of our districts
and the children and families we are privileged to
serve in America’s urban public schools. It has been
an honor and pleasure to serve as the Board chair
this year and I look forward to working with the
Council as we all strive to achieve excellence for all
of our schools.
William Isler
Chair of the Board
Each year the Board is amazed at the number of
requests from member districts for Strategic Support
Teams to come into their districts to work on
improving administrative, support, and curriculum
issues. The team’s reviews and recommendations
benefit not only the requesting district, but serve as
case studies for other member districts.

Message from the Director
June 30, 2009
I
am pleased and proud to present this annual
report to the membership on the activities of the
Council of the Great City Schools during the
2008-09 program year.
The Council had an outstanding year, but it has been
a difficult year for everyone. The nation’s economic
conditions have prompted the kinds of cutbacks and
layoffs to urban school systems that we have not seen
in many decades. Still, your organization and your
fellow urban education leaders remain focused on
the critical priorities of raising student achievement
and improving our operations.
Among the many notable activities undertaken by
the Council this year was the Annual Fall Conference
in Houston in October. The Houston Independent
School District did an outstanding job of hosting a
meeting that by all accounts was one of our best.
The organization also played a critical role in the early
days of the new Obama Administration in helping
another Secretary of Education from our ranks begin
an important set of reforms and improvements on
the national stage. The Council also worked tirelessly
to get the new economic stimulus money as tightly
targeted on our big-city school districts as possible
and to prepare the membership to receive the new
dollars.
Foundation to help us analyze urban NAEP trends
and study effective uses of data in our member
districts. We continued to provide top-flight
Strategic Support Teams to our membership to
help improve instruction, organization, operations,
and management. And we put new communications
tools on the table.
Despite the difficult economic times, it is clear
that urban education and urban educators have
continued to make the reforms necessary to improve
the quality of public schooling for our city kids.
I thank Bill Isler, who served as Chair of the Board
this year. His leadership was outstanding, steadfast
and thoughtful, and his commitment to the
organization and its work is noteworthy. We could
not have been as effective this year without his
guidance. Finally, I thank the staff of the Council.
We lost Shirley Schwartz this year, a person who
helped keep everything glued together, and we
miss her terribly. Through it all, however, the staff
supported each other and continued to break new
ground on every front in order to make the Council
of the Great City Schools all it can be. Thank you.
Michael Casserly
Executive Director
Over the course of the year, the Council also published
a third and expanded edition of our ground-breaking
Managing for Results study tracking key performance
indicators in our urban schools. We wrapped up our
field work on a unique new study on why English
language learners were progressing faster in some
cities than others.
We filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme
Court that was cited in the court’s decision. We were
awarded new funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates

About the Council
The Council of the Great City Schools brings together the nation’s largest urban public
school systems in a coalition dedicated to the improvement of education for children
in the inner cities. The Council and its member school districts work to help our
schoolchildren meet the highest standards and become successful and productive members
of society.
The Council keeps the nation’s lawmakers, the media and the public informed about the
progress and problems in big-city schools. The organization does this through legislation,
communications, research, and technical assistance.
The organization also helps to build capacity in urban education with programs to boost academic
performance and narrow achievement gaps; improve professional development; and
strengthen leadership, governance, and management.
The Council of the Great City Schools accomplishes
its mission by connecting urban
school district personnel from coast to coast
who work under similar conditions. Staff with
responsibilities for curricula, research and
testing, finance, operations, personnel, technology,
legislation, communications and other
areas confer regularly under the Council’s auspices
to share concerns and solutions and discuss
what works in boosting achievement and
managing operations.
In addition, joint efforts with other national organizations, corporations, and government
policymakers extend the Council’s influence and effectiveness outside member school districts
to the larger, interdependent world that will ultimately benefit from the contributions of
today’s urban students.
Since the organization’s founding in 1956, geographic, ethnic, language, and cultural diversity
has typified the Council’s membership. That diversity propels the coalition forward to
see that all citizens receive an education that will equip them with the skills and knowledge
to compete successfully in the world marketplace and to enhance the quality of their lives
in a society changing with phenomenal speed. The well-spring of accomplishments and innovations
rising from our inner cities testifies to the resounding benefits of investment in the
nation’s urban centers and in their public schools.

(Above) U.S. Education Secretary
Arne Duncan addresses
reporters on the White House
grounds following a meeting
with urban educators.
(Right) Moderator Dan
Rather, left, listens as panelists
Jonathan Schnur, Obama
campaign adviser; Houston
Schools Superintendent Abelardo
Saavedra; then-Chicago
Schools CEO Arne Duncan and
Anchorage school board member
Crystal Kennedy share their
views at the Council’s Town
Hall Meeting on “An Urban
Education Agenda for the New
President.”

Vision
OUR VISION
Urban public schools exist to teach students to the highest standards of educational excellence.
As the primary American institution responsible for weaving the strands of our society
into a cohesive fabric, we — the leaders of America’s Great City Schools — see a future where
the nation cares for all children, expects their best, appreciates their diversity, invests in their
futures, and welcomes their participation in the American dream.
The Great City Schools are places where this vision becomes tangible and those ideals are put
to the test. We will keep our commitments, and as we do and as society supports our endeavors,
cities will become the centers of a strong and equitable nation, with urban public schools
successfully teaching our children and building our communities.
OUR MISSION
It is the special mission of America’s urban public schools to educate the nation’s most diverse
student body to the highest academic standards and prepare them to contribute to our
democracy and the global community.
OUR GOALS
• To educate all urban school students to the highest academic
standards.
• To lead, govern and manage our urban public schools in ways that
advance the education of our children and inspire the public’s
confidence.
•To build a confident, committed and supportive urban
community for raising the achievement of urban public school
children.

(Left) Houston School
Board Member Dianne
Johnson asks a question
at the Council Legislative/Policy
Conference
as fellow school board
member Paula Harris,
right, listens.
(Below) Fresno
Superintendent Michael
Hanson makes a point
during his presentation
on urban schools
partnering to increase
student achievement at
the Annual Fall Conference.
(Bottom) Atlanta
Superintendent Beverly
Hall asks Education Secretary
Arne Duncan a
question at the Council
Legislative/Policy Conference
as Atlanta school
board member Cecily
Harsch-Kinnane looks on.

Organizational Structure
School districts located in cities with populations over 250,000 and student enrollments over
35,000 are eligible for membership in the Council of the Great City Schools. Membership is
also open to those districts serving a state’s largest city, regardless of size.
The Board of Directors is composed of the Superintendent and one Board of Education member
from each member district, making the Council the only national educational organization so constituted
and the only one whose purpose and membership is solely urban. The Board meets twice a
year to determine and adopt policies. It elects a 24-member Executive Committee, which exercises
governing authority when the Board is not in session.
The Board of Directors established five special task forces in 1998 and 1999 to address major issues
facing the membership. Created were a School Finance Task Force to explore ways to challenge urban
school funding inequities around the nation and an English Language Learners and Bilingual
Education Task Force to focus on issues around the education of English language learners.
A Task Force on Achievement was established to eliminate gaps in the academic achievement of
students by race. A Task Force on Leadership and Governance addresses the increasing concern
about issues surrounding urban school leadership and management; and a Task Force on Professional
Development explores ways to give teachers and administrators the latest tools and techniques
to improve student achievement.
Three Subcommittees of the Executive Committee
provide support in financial and organizational areas:
By-Laws: Defines the Council’s mission, responsibilities,
and composition within the framework of applicable
laws and regulations.
Audit: Reviews and studies budgetary matters and
ensures that revenues are properly managed.
Membership: Determines eligible cities for membership
and recruits, screens, and recommends new
members.
In addition to these governing bodies, a network of deans of the Great City Colleges of Education
and staff liaisons from various school district departments encourages information exchange with
counterparts in other cities. Common concerns in areas such as student achievement, public relations,
technology, human resources, finance, research, legislation, special education, and curriculum
connect urban education personnel from member cities to share the ideas and experiences of the
larger group.

Characteristics of the Great City Schools
q Total Student Enrollment..................................7.1 million
African American............................................36%
Hispanic ........................................................35%
White..............................................................21%
Asian/Pacific Islander.......................................6%
Alaskan/Native American.................................1%
q Free/Reduced Price Lunch Eligibility.................61%
q English Language Learners................................17%
q Students With Individualized Education
Programs (IEP’s)...............................................13%
q Total Number of Teachers..................................430,042
q Student-Teacher Ratio...................................... 17:1
q Number of Schools............................................11,787
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
Conferences
Public Relations Executives Meeting
July 5-6, 2008 • Arlington, VA
Curriculum Directors & Research Directors
Joint Meeting
July 16-18, 2008 • Chicago, IL
Executive Committee Meeting
July 18-19, 2008 • Pittsburgh, PA
Annual Fall Conference
October 22-October 26, 2008 • Houston, TX
Chief Financial Officers Conference
November 12-15, 2008 • Baltimore, MD
Executive Committee Meeting
January 23-24, 2009 • San Diego, CA
HRD/Personnel Directors Meeting
February 4-7, 2009 • Memphis, TN
Supplemental Services/Title I Meeting
March 13-14, 2009 • Washington, DC
Legislative/Policy Conference
March 14-17, 2009 • Washington, DC
Chief Operating Officers Conference
April 21-24, 2009 • Fort Lauderdale, FL
Bilingual, Immigrant & Refugee Education
Directors Meeting
May 6-9, 2009 • St. Paul, MN
E-Rate Meeting
June 2, 2009 • Cleveland, OH
Student Information Systems Symposium
June 3, 2009 • Cleveland, OH
Chief Information Officers Meeting
June 4-5, 2009 • Cleveland, OH
10

Annual Fall Conference
Big-city school leaders from around the
nation convened in Houston to attend the
Council’s 52nd Annual Fall Conference,
October 22-26, hosted by the Houston
Independent School District.
Under the banner “Pioneering the Educational
Frontier,” more than 850 urban superintendents,
board members, senior administrators and deans of
colleges of education participated in the five-day
conference, which focused on issues and challenges
facing the nation’s largest urban school districts.
Education advisers of the two 2008 presidential
candidates, then-Sen. Barack Obama and Sen.
John McCain, faced off in a lively 90-minute town
hall meeting on “An Urban Education Agenda for
the New President.” The town hall meeting was
moderated by noted journalist Dan Rather and
also featured two superintendents and two board
members.
Alvin Poussaint, a Harvard professor of psychiatry,
discussed the issue of corporal punishment in
schools. Poussaint, who coauthored a book with
comedian Bill Cosby, urged educators to ban the
practice of paddling in schools because it sends a
message to children that violence is acceptable.
Psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint discusses the issue of corporal punishment in
schools.
In the United States, there are approximately five
million children with at least one undocumented
parent. The question of what happens to
these children if their parents are detained by
immigration officials was the topic of a special
session, “The Impact of Immigration Law
Enforcement on Urban Students.” Moderated by
PBS correspondent Maria Hinojosa, the panel
consisted of two big-city superintendents, two
board members and a research associate from the
Urban Institute.
Conferees heard an inspiring address from teacher
Erin Gruwell, who discussed her experiences as
a high school teacher in Long Beach, Calif. Her
efforts to help students succeed academically was
turned into a movie called the The Freedom Writers.
Also addressing the conference was Pedro
Noguera, a professor at New York City University.
Noguera said that urban public schools are
indispensable institutions and that it should be
possible to create schools where children’s race and
socioeconomic factors do not predict how well
they do.
Teacher Erin Gruwell describes her experience being a teacher at an innercity
high school.
11

Legislative/Policy Conference
Urban school leaders assembled in the
nation’s capital’s March 14-17 to discuss
the reauthorization of the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB), as well as the education
priorities of the Obama administration.
Conferees heard from U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan, the former chief executive officer
of Chicago Public Schools. He told attendees
that urban school systems have made tremendous
progress and that his role as secretary is to help
districts continue to improve student achievement.
The former leader of the nation’s third largest
school district also told big-city school leaders
that the Department of Education will focus on
encouraging states to adopt rigorous standards
that are internationally benchmarked so that the
nation’s students can successfully compete with
students in other countries such as China and
India.
Duncan also met with some 30 urban school
superintendents and board members for a
roundtable discussion at the White House to
discuss how best to utilize the economic stimulus
package to improve and advance urban public
schools. In addition to Secretary Duncan, the
urban educators also met with President Obama’s
senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett.
Senior presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett addresses urban school leaders
at a White House meeting as Council of the Great City Schools’ Executive
Director Michael Casserly and Education Secretary Arne Duncan listen.
Conferees also heard from Danny Davis (D-Ill.),
a former member of the House Education and
Labor Committee.
Davis told educators that schools have failed too
many African American and Hispanic children
and are setting them up to enter a system of
revolving incarceration and a life of failure. He
stressed that the nation must invest funds in
education to effectively compete with children
from other countries.
The issue of reauthorizing NCLB was addressed
by Gary Huggins, the director of the Aspen
Institute’s Commission on No Child Left Behind,
a bipartisan effort to improve the education law.
Huggins praised the law for demanding improved
achievement from all students but believes the
law could be substantially improved. He said the
commission on NCLB will focus on issues such as
how to better target professional development for
teachers, how to create data systems that can track
student achievement, how to better help struggling
schools and how to best reward effective teachers.
Rep. Danny Davis discusses education issues at the conference.
12

(Right) PBS correspondent Maria Hinojosa moderates a special session on immigration
at the Annual Fall Conference.
(Below) Sen. John McCain adviser Lisa Graham Keegan makes a point at the Council’s
Town Hall Meeting as Jonathan Schnur, adviser to then-Sen. Barack Obama, and Houston
Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra look on.
(Bottom) Education Secretary Arne Duncan poses with the Council’s leadership, left to
right, past Council Chair Carol Comeau, Chair-elect Carol Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer
Dilafruz Williams, Chair William Isler and Executive Director Michael Casserly.
13

Highlights of Council Activities
COMMUNICATIONS
The Council of the Great City Schools works to give the public and the press a balanced and accurate view of
the challenges, developments, and successes of urban public schools. In 2008-2009, the Council—
r Participated in a panel on “Tracking the Stimulus” at the Education Writers Association conference and in
an Education Week webinar on economic stimulus.
r Wrote commentary for the Washington Post’s Sunday “Outlook” section.
r Placed front page and “Eye on Research” articles in Education Week.
r Fielded scores of inquiries from such national media outlets as the New York Times, Washington Post, USA
Today, Christian Science Monitor, Time magazine, CNN and the Associated Press.
r Released press statements on the White House visit of urban school leaders and the nomination of the
secretary of education.
r Coordinated the organization’s annual National Town Hall Meeting, which focused on “An Urban Education
Agenda for the New President.”
r Continued airing the organization’s public service announcements on television around the nation.
r Established and reinforced relations with reporters, editors and news executives at the national Unity conference
of Hispanic, African, Asian and Native American journalists.
r Developed draft booklet on building public confidence in urban schools through internal communications.
r Provided an electronic forum for urban districts to share strategies during the nation’s swine flu crisis.
r Drafted a report on implications of national public opinion research on urban schools.
r Conducted strategic support team assessment of the Anchorage School District’s communications operation
and provided strategic communications support to the School District of Philadelphia.
r Published eight issues of the Urban Educator.
r Conducted the Eighth Annual Public Relations Executives Meeting.
LEGISLATION
In voicing its proposals and ideas to Congress and other federal policymakers, the Council helps shape legislation
to strengthen the quality of schooling for the nation’s urban children. In 2008-2009, the Council—
r Advocated for additional funding and flexibility in the economic stimulus package, the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, totaling some $100 billion.
rFought to target funds appropriated under the economic stimulus package to school districts based on numbers
of children living in poverty, resulting in approximately $5.5 billion in additional funding for Title I and
IDEA, nearly $100 million in education technology grants, targeted to Council member districts, and as
much as $500 million from the Secretary’s Incentive Grants.
rWorked to pass a new $22 billion school construction bond (QSCBs) program, including a 40% set-aside for
the nation’s 100 largest, poorest school districts, and tripled the school repair bonds (QZABs).
r Continued to comment and provide recommendations on interpretations, guidelines, and fact sheets issued
by the U.S. Department of Education on the implementation of education stimulus programs.
r Held conference calls, provided presentations, and answered questions from the membership on the funding,
requirements, implementation, and opportunities available under the ARRA stimulus package.
r Provided technical assistance teams for Kansas City and Detroit on the planning and implementation of the
education stimulus funds.
r Published an “Open Letter to the Next President of the United States.”
14

Highlights of Council Activities
15
r Convened the Annual Legislative/Policy Conference and dedicated the four-day meeting to briefings,
technical implementation panels, and funding information surrounding the ARRA stimulus package.
r Provided extensive recommendations to the Obama Transition Team.
r Submitted extensive comments and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Education on regulations
governing Title I, including subgroup accountability, graduation rates, choice, and supplemental services.
r Negotiated an extension of the flexibility agreement with the U.S. Department of Education allowing selected
districts to provide supplemental services.
r Advocated successfully to allow all school districts to become local supplemental services providers and to
re-program Title I stimulus set-aside funds into more effective instructional activities.
r Submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education on IDEA regulations governing special education,
including student privacy, parental consent, and the allocation of IDEA funds.
r Filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the Forest Grove School District case, supporting the
position that only students who had attended public school could seek private school tuition reimbursement.
r Worked with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund to secure Ford Foundation funding to assist
urban districts to prevent re-segregation and promote diversity pursuant to Supreme Court decisions.
r Secured a $2.5 million Federal appropriation to support desegregation technical assistance.
r Fought for the permanent elimination of regulations limiting school-based Medicaid funding.
r Advocated for the extension and expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
r Submitted formal comments with the American Public Transit Association on proposed regulations limiting
the availability of public transportation for city school children.
r Submitted regulatory comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding services
eligible for reimbursement under the E-Rate program.
r Convened an all-day, problem-solving meeting between the Council’s largest school districts and the Universal
Service Administrative Company that oversees the E-Rate program.
r Hosted monthly E-Rate conference calls between Council districts and the Universal Service
Administrative Company.
r Fielded requests from Congress for technical assistance and information on school construction, high school
reform, teacher training, technology education, special education, bilingual education and other issues.
RESEARCH
Timely data collection and analysis allow the Council to prepare comprehensive reports, predict trends, and assess
the effects of various policies, reforms, and practices on student performance. In 2008-2009, the Council—
r Wrote and submitted a proposal to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, resulting in a $3.7-million grant
to support a multi-year research project on standards and data use in the Great City Schools.
r Convened the 2008 annual meeting of Research and Curriculum Directors in Chicago.
r Oversaw the Council’s Senior Urban Education Research Fellowship program in six member districts, and
finalized three new proposals.
r Published research brief on Advancing Adolescent Literacy in Urban Schools.
r Published Urban Indicator on high school reform efforts in urban school districts.
r Published Urban Indicator on the characteristics, tenure, and salary of urban school superintendents.
r Continued to lead the Institute for Education Sciences’ Task Force on urban education research.
r Played an advisory role on a multi-district study of Read 180 in urban middle schools.
r Fielded the second survey of the role and characteristics of urban school boards.

Highlights of Council Activities
r Represented urban school district interests and perspectives in numerous meetings and presentations to
national research and policy organizations.
r Responded to numerous member requests for statistical information and research assistance.
r Collaborated with the Consortium for Chicago School Research on a program to train and support the
development of research partnerships in urban school districts.
r Collaborated with the National Center on Time and Learning on a Hewlett Foundation project to create a
national database of extended school learning programs.
ACHIEVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS
Improving the performance of all students and closing achievement gaps is one of the Council’s most important
priorities. In 2008-2009 the Council—
r Facilitated two meetings of the Task Force on Achievement.
r Provided Strategic Support Teams to Cincinnati (instruction), Cleveland (theme programs), Dayton (instruction),
Denver (instruction and English language learners), Detroit (instruction), Buffalo (English language
learners), Washington D.C. (five-year plan), Boston (special education), Philadelphia (special education),
and Rochester (special education).
r Launched a study of standards and alignment in urban school districts participating in the Trial Urban District
Assessment of NAEP.
r Participated in a NAEP pre-release workshop to provide technical and communications support to an expanded
group of TUDA districts.
r Conducted numerous presentations to national organizations, community groups, state and federal legislators
and business leaders on Council efforts to improve student achievement.
r Facilitated sessions at the Bilingual and Legislative Conferences to focus on improving achievement.
r Worked with deans of colleges of education on opportunities for stronger collaboration.
r Strongly advocated for the development of National Education Standards.
LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
A Task Force on Leadership, Governance and Management addresses the quality and tenure of leadership and
management in urban schools. In 2008-2009, the Council—
r Facilitated two meetings of the Leadership, Governance and Management Task Force.
r Provided Strategic Support Teams to Newark (food & nutritional services), Seattle (procurement & supply
chain), Philadelphia (human resources), Atlanta (facilities and maintenance operations), Miami (transportation,
capital program, ERP implementation, food services, maintenance & operations), Milwaukee (human
resources), and Dallas (central office staffing).
r Convened annual meetings of Chief Financial Officers, Human Resources Directors, Chief Operating Officers,
and Chief Information Officers.
r Convened two meetings of member districts on Enterprise Resources Planning Applications and Learning
Management Systems.
r Published the third edition of Managing for Results in America’s Great City Schools, A Report of the Performance
Measurement & Benchmarking Project.
r Prepared case studies on best practices in financial management, food services, facilities management, and
procurement and supply chain management.
r Expanded the Council’s automated management database — EduPortal.
16
r Fielded numerous survey questions from member districts.

Highlights of Council Activities
BILINGUAL, IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE EDUCATION
America’s urban schools serve unusually large numbers of students whose families have come to this nation to seek
a better life. In 2008-09, the Council—
r Conducted site visits to member districts to determine best practices in the instruction of English language
learners.
r Convened two meetings of the Task Force on English Language Learners and Bilingual Education.
r Hosted a groundbreaking session on the “Impact of Immigration Law Enforcement on Urban Students” at the
Annual Fall Conference moderated by PBS correspondent Maria Hinojosa.
r Convened a three-day annual meeting for the Great City School directors of Bilingual, Immigrant and Refugee
Education (BIRE).
r Provided extensive recommendations related to English learner issues and Title III implementation to the
Obama Transition Team.
r Provided strategic support teams to Seattle (bilingual), Denver (bilingual), and Buffalo (bilingual).
r Provided technical assistance to Council members on Title III implementation.
r Held conference calls and provided presentations at the BIRE meeting to familiarize directors with the opportunities
available to support ELL programs under the ARRA stimulus package.
r Represented Council member districts before Mexican Education and Foreign Ministries to facilitate access
to educational materials and resources for Spanish-speaking English learners.
SCHOOL FINANCE
One of the priorities of the Council of the Great City Schools is to ensure that its students have the same opportunity
to meet the nation’s academic standards as students anywhere. In 2008-2009 the Council—
r Presented the Council’s first Award for Excellence in Financial Management to Broward County Public
Schools.
r Expanded the number of Key Performance Indicators on financial operations in the Council’s Managing for
Results project.
r Held two meetings of the Finance Task Force.
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
The Council works tirelessly to manage its resources and ensure the integrity of its programs. In 2008-2009 the
Council—
r Conducted an internal audit of the organization’s 2008-2009 spending.
r Received an unqualified audit on 2007-2008 spending.
r Arranged the Annual Fall Conference in Houston and 13 staff forums.
r Continued maintenance and upgrades of the organization’s office computers.
r Continued cleanup and update of the organization’s database system.
r Continued to refine online conference registration system for the membership.
r Managed financials for thirty-one (31) strategic support teams and three (3) grants.
r Entertained numerous requests for membership information.
r Hired two new employees.
17

Award Programs
Richard R. Green
RICHARD R. GREEN AWARD
During the annual fall conference, the Council bestows the Richard
R. Green Award upon a past or present member district superintendent
or Board of Education member in recognition of exceptional
contributions to urban schools and students. As the nation’s highest
urban education honor, the award pays tribute to the memory
of Richard R. Green, former Minneapolis and New York City Public
Schools superintendent, who won distinction as an outstanding
educator and leader.
The award, sponsored by ARAMARK Education and Voyager Expanded Learning, includes
a $10,000 college scholarship for presentation to a senior in the winner’s school system or
system from which the winner graduated.
Pascal Forgione, the superintendent of Texas’ Austin Independent School District,
received the award at the 2008 Fall Conference in Houston. Under his 10 years of leadership,
the district has seen an upward trend in academic achievement, a return to fiscal stability,
three successful bond elections and improved community support for the district.
Austin Superintendent congratulates
Angga Pratama for
winning the $10,000 Richard
R. Green college scholarship.
Pratama, who was the class
president at his high school
for three years and captain
of the school football team,
will attend the University of
Texas at Austin and major in
civil engineering.
18

Richard R. Green Award Winners
1989 W. Harry Davis, Retired Member Minneapolis School Board
1990 James Griffin, Retired Member St. Paul School Board
Timothy Dyer, Former Superintendent
Phoenix Union High School District
1991 Paul Houston, Former Superintendent Tucson Public Schools
1992 Richard Wallace Jr., Superintendent Emeritus Pittsburgh Public Schools
1993 Constance Clayton, Superintendent School District of Philadelphia
1994 Holmes Braddock, Board Member Miami-Dade County Public Schools
1995 Curman Gaines, Superintendent St. Paul Public Schools
1996 James Williams, Superintendent Dayton Public Schools
1997 Maxine Smith, Retired Member Memphis City School Board
1998 Gerry House, Superintendent Memphis City Public Schools
1999 Rod Paige, Superintendent Houston Independent School District
Judy Farmer, Board Member
Minneapolis Public Schools
2000 Eric Smith, Superintendent Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
2001 Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Superintendent Cleveland Municipal School District
2002 John Simpson, Superintendent Norfolk Public Schools
2003 Arthur Griffin, Board Member Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Franklin Till, Superintendent
Broward County Public Schools
2004 Tom Payzant, Superintendent Boston Public Schools
2005 Anna Dodson, Board Member Norfolk Public Schools
2006 Beverly Hall, Superintendent Atlanta Public Schools
2007 Elizabeth Reilinger, Board Member Boston Public Schools
2008 Pascal Forgione, Superintendent Austin Independent School District
QUEEN SMITH AWARD FOR COMMITMENT TO URBAN EDUCATION
Hilderbrand Pelzer III, the assistant regional superintendent for alternative education for the School District
of Philadelphia, was the recipient of the 11th annual Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban
Education. Sponsored by the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., the award is named in honor of
the company’s late vice president of urban programs and presented each year at the Council’s Fall Conference.
URBAN IMPACT AWARD
The Council of the Great City Colleges of Education, an affiliate group of deans working with big-city
school leaders, presented its 10th annual Urban Impact Award to the University of Dayton and Dayton
Public Schools for their Dayton Early College Academy, the first early college high school in Ohio, which
helps students make a seamless transition from high school to college. The award honors an exemplary
program between a university and urban school system that has had a positive and significant impact on
teaching and learning.
19

Financial Report
Financial
Statment for the year ending June 30, 2009
Net Gain on
Investments
0.0%
Registration Fees
5.8%
REVENUE
Sale of Publications
0.0%
Sublease of Office
Space
0.2%
Categorical Projects
29.5%
EXPENSES
Public Advocacy
7.8%
Legislative Advocacy
8.7%
Sponsor Contribution
14.8%
Membership Dues
36.9%
Research
8.5%
Curriculum & Instruction
2.5%
Grants & Contracts
40.1%
Interest
2.2%
Conferences &
Meetings
21.7%
Fundraising Activities
0.7%
Executive Leadership
9.6%
Member Management
Services
Admin and Financial 3.9%
Management
7.1%
Revenue
Membership Dues $2,217,452 $2,290,988
Interest 149,660 138,282
Grants & Contracts 877,615 2,489,830
Sponsor Contributions 794,410 916,216
Registration Fees 369,861 361,542
Sale of Publications 275 0
Net Gain on Investments 147,530 0
Sublease of Office Space 20,115 10,644
Total Revenue $4,281,859 $6,207,816
Expenses
Audited Report
FY07-08
Preliminary Estimate
FY08-09
Communications $457,726 $358,307
Legislation 415,718 397,253
Research 433,844 388,038
Curriculum & Instruction 125,136 112,560
Executive Leadership 414,678 441,211
Management Services 194,215 177,922
Admin & Financial Management 313,495 327,677
Fundraising Activities 13,518 33,841
Conferences & Meetings 1,005,428 997,681
Categorical Projects 1,010,288 1,353,378
Total Expenses $4,384,045 $4,587,868
Change in Net Assets $102,186 $1,619,948
Net Assets, Beginning $2,588,629 $2,486,443
Net Assets, Ending $2,486,443 $4,106,391
20

Sponsors
The Council thanks the following contributors
for their generous support in 2008-2009
Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group
America’s Choice, Inc.
ARAMARK Education
Chartwells/Thompson Hospitality
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
McGraw-Hill Companies
Pearson Education
Scholastic, Inc.
Sodexo
Texas Instruments
Voyager Expanded Learning
Wireless Generation
2008 Chief Financial Officers
Meeting
AECOM
Catalyst Financial Group, Inc.
Chartwells/Thompson Hospitality
CherryRoad Technologies, Inc.
CIBER, Inc.
Cognos, an IBM Company
Heery International
Microsoft
MILO Solutions & Services, LLC
Oracle
Preferred Meal Systems
Public Consulting Group
SAP Public Services, Inc.
School-Link Technologies
Sodexho
SunGard Public Sector
The Cadmus Group
Tyler Technologies
21
2008 Annual Fall Conference
AAL
Approva
America’s Choice, Inc.
ARAMARK
Chartwells/Thompson Hospitality
CIBER, Inc
Community Education Partners
DHJM
Evans Newton Incorporated
Excelsior Software
FirstClass
Houghton Mifflin Company
Kaplan K12 Learning Services
KellyService
McGraw-Hill Education
National Geographic School
Publishing/ Hampton-Brown
Naviance
Pearson
Public Consulting Group
Renaissance Learning
Schoolnet, Inc.
Scholastic
Science Weekly
Sodexo
Texas Instruments
Vantage Learning
Voyager Expanded Learning
Wireless Generation
Zaner-Bloser Educational Publishers
Strategic Support Teams
The Broad Foundation
2008 Curriculum Directors &
Research Directors Joint Meeting
America’s Choice, Inc.
Data Recognition Corporation
ETA/Cuisenaire
ETS
Evans Newton
Houghton Mifflin Company
McGraw-Hill Education
Pearson Education
Renaissance Learning
Scholastic, Inc.
Schoolnet, Inc.
2008 HRD/Personnel Directors
Meeting
CherryRoad Technologies, Inc.
SunGard Public Sector
MILO Solutions & Services LLC
TransAct
2009 Legislative/Policy Conference
America’s Choice, Inc.
Community Education Partners
Heery International
Pearson
Sodexo
Voyager Expanded Learning
Wireless Generation
2009 Chief Operating Officers
Conference
Chartwells/Thompson Hospitality
CIBER, Inc.
Heery International
Preferred Meals Systems
Sodexo
2009 Bilingual Directors
Meeting
A+RISE
Benchmark Education
ETS
iPASOS
McGraw-Hill Education
National Geographic School
Publishing/Hampton-Brown
2009 Chief Information
Officers Meeting
Blackboard, Inc.
Education Networks of America,
Inc.
eVerge Group
Desire2Learn
Fronter
Kronos
MILO Solutions & Services,
LLC
Oracle Corporation
Pearson
Public Consulting Group
SAP Public Services
Schoolnet, Inc.
Strategic Products & Services
Sun Microsystems
Wireless Generation
X2-Development

Publications
r Urban Indicator: High School Reform Survey, School Year 2006-2007, Spring 2009
The data from this survey show that urban school districts are implementing a wide variety of strategies designed to improve
teaching and learning and set the conditions for secondary school success.
r Urban Indicator: Urban School Superintendents: Characteristics, Tenure, and Salary Sixth Survey and
Report, Winter 2008/2009
This sixth survey of urban superintendents’ characteristics, tenure, and salary reports trends since 1997.
r Research Brief: Advancing Adolescent Literacy in Urban Schools, Fall 2008
This brief provides a synthesis of the research on adolescent litearcy, primarily focusing on policies and practices that can
support the development of language skills necessary to access high school content.
r Managing for Results in America’s Great City Schools, October 2008
This report describes statistical indicators developed by the Council and its member districts to measure big-city school
performance on a range of operational functions for fiscal year 2007.
22

Council Staff
23
ADMINISTRATION
Michael Casserly, Executive Director
Teri ValeCruz, Director of Administration, Finance & Conferences
Alisa Adams, Finance Manager
Terry Tabor, Conference Manager
Shirley Lathern, Systems & Administration Specialist
Lenise Rutherford, Accounting & Conference Specialist
Anthony Lee, Receptionist/Secretary
COMMUNICATIONS
Henry Duvall, Director of Communications
Tonya Harris, Communications Manager
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
Ricki Price-Baugh, Director of Academic Achievement
LEGISLATION
Jeff Simering, Director of Legislation
Manish Naik, Manager of Legislative Services
Gabriela Uro, Manager of ELL Policy Research
Julie Wright Halbert, Legislative Counsel
MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
Robert Carlson, Director of Management Services
RESEARCH
Jason Snipes, Director of Research
Amanda Horwitz, Research Manager
Renatta Uzzell, Research Manager
Candace Simon, Research Specialist
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Shirley Schwartz, Director of Special Projects

Council Board of Directors and Member Districts 2009-2010d Member Districts 2006-2007
School District Superintendent Board Member
Albuquerque Winston Brooks Paul Maes
Anchorage Carol Comeau Crystal Kennedy
Atlanta Beverly Hall Cecily Harsch-Kinnane
Austin Meria Carstarphen Mark Williams
Baltimore Andres Alonso Jerrelle Francois
Birmingham Barbara Allen Dannetta Thornton Owens
Boston Carol Johnson Elizabeth Reilinger
Broward County James Notter Robert Parks
Buffalo James Williams Mary Ruth Kapsiak
Caddo Parish Gerald Dawkins Willie Burton
Charleston Nancy McGinley Toya Hampton Green
Charlotte-Mecklenberg Peter Gorman Joe White
Chicago Ron Huberman Michael Scott
Christina Marcia Lyles TBD
Cincinnati Mary Ronan Eileen Cooper Reed
Clark County Walt Rulffes Terri Janison
Cleveland Eugene Sanders Grady Burrows
Columbus Gene Harris Betty Drummond
Dallas Michael Hinojosa Edwin Flores
Dayton Kurt Stanic Jeffrey Mims
Denver Tom Boasberg Theresa Pena
Des Moines Nancy Sebring Ginny Strong
Detroit Teresa Gueyser Carla Scott
District of Columbia Michelle Rhee TBD
Duval County Ed Pratt-Dannals Vicki Drake
East Baton Rouge John Dilworth Jerry Arbour
Fort Worth Melody Johnson Ray Dickerson
Fresno Michael Hanson Cal Johnson
Guilford County Maurice Green Alan Duncan
Hillsborough County MaryEllen Elia Candy Olson
Houston Abelardo Saavedra Diane Johnson
Indianapolis Eugene White Mary Busch
Jackson Lonnie Edwards Sollie Norwood
Jefferson County Sheldon Berman Ann Elmore
Kansas City (MO) John Covington Marilyn Simmons
Little Rock Linda Watson Katherine Mitchell
Long Beach Christopher Steinhauser Felton Williams
Los Angeles Ramon Cortines Yolie Flores Aguilar
Memphis Kriner Cash Stephanie Gatewood
Miami-Dade County Alberto Carvalho Lawrence Feldman
Milwaukee William Andrekopoulos Michael Bonds
Minneapolis William Green Lydia Lee
Nashville Jesse Register Edward Kindall
Newark Clifford Janey Samuel Gonzalez
New Orleans Darryl Kilbert Phyllis Landrieu
New York City Joel Klein Joan Correale
Norfolk Stephen Jones James Driggers
Oakland Anthony Smith Gary Yee
Oklahoma City Karl Springer Phil Horning
Omaha John Mackiel Mona McGregor
Orange County Ronald Blocker Anne Geiger
Palm Beach County Arthur Johnson Paulette Burdick
Philadelphia Arlene Ackerman James Gallagher
Pittsburgh Mark Roosevelt William Isler
Portland Carole Smith Dilafruz Williams
Providence Thomas Brady Robert Wise
Richmond Yvonne Brandon Evette Wilson
Rochester Jean-Claude Brizard Malik Evans
St. Louis Kelvin Adams Peter Downs
St. Paul Suzanne Kelly Kazoua Kong-Thao
Salt Lake City McKell Withers Laurel Young
San Diego Terry Grier Katherine Nakamura
San Francisco Carlos Garcia Norman Yee
Seattle Maria Goodloe-Johnson Cheryl Chow
Toledo John Foley Darlene Fisher
Wichita John Allison Kevass Harding

Fresno
Albuquerque
Anchorage
Atlanta
Austin
Baltimore
Birmingham
Boston
Broward County
Buffalo
Charleston
Charlotte
Chicago
Christina
Cincinnati
Clark County
Cleveland
Columbus
Dallas
Dayton
Denver
Des Moines
Detroit
Greensboro
Kansas City Long Beach
Houston
East Baton Rouge
Fort Worth
Fresno
Greensboro
Houston
Indianapolis
Jackson
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Little Rock
Long Beach
Los Angeles
Louisville
Memphis
Miami-Dade County
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
Newark
New Orleans
New York City
Norfolk
Los Angeles
Indianapolis
Louisville
Oakland
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orange County
Palm Beach
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Portland
Providence
Richmond
Rochester
St. Louis
St. Paul
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Shreveport
Tampa
Toledo
Washington, DC
Wichita
Jackson
Memphis
Jacksonville
Miami-Dade
Council of the Great City Schools
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Suite 702
Washington, DC 20004