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The Urban School Leaders Fellowship, initiated by the Fairfield County Community Foundation, will increase the number and diversity of principals with the skills and motivation to lead the county’s most challenging urban schools. The yearlong program is part of the Foundation’s School Leadership Initiative to help close the achievement gap between urban and suburban public school districts. The first class of 32 Fellows—who hold academic credentials to qualify for a principal position—will graduate in June 2009. Ten of the Fellows work at Stamford public schools. After teachers, school leaders have the greatest educational impact on student performance. Today’s principals face mounting pressure to improve student performance with shrinking resources. Urban school districts with large percentages of minority and impoverished students—where test scores are lowest—cannot attract enough qualified principal candidates. The challenge isn’t limited to Connecticut. The United States faces a nationwide shortage of principals and assistant principals over the next 10 years. The Urban School Leaders Fellowship program begins where academic preparation ends. Over the next year, the 32 Fellows will learn how to improve teaching quality and foster environments that inspire learning. They will develop and implement a leadership learning project to help improve student outcomes in their current position in their schools. Fellows will continue to work throughout their fellowship and apply their learning first-hand as challenges at their schools unfold. “This program is confronting the major question we face—how do we develop leaders who can create systems that support the highest quality instruction in every classroom for each and every child?” said Dr. Joshua Starr, superintendent of Stamford Public Schools which has an enrollment of over 15,000 students. “The Urban School Leaders Fellowship program’s approach is breaking new ground and will be a model for those who seek to improve the future of all our children in urban school districts.” Over the last nine months, the Foundation brought together the Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Danbury and school districts, the Connecticut Center for School Change and Dr. Richard Lemons from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education for unprecedented cross-district collaboration. They designed a program to train upcoming principals to transform and lead urban schools where children succeed, especially minority students and students from low-wage families. The goal is for up to two-thirds of the graduating Fellows to become urban school principals over the next five years. Fellows from Stamford Public Schools include: Douglas Fetchin, Rippowam Middle School; Alan Hayes, Rippowam Middle School; Thomas Moulketis, Cloonan Middle School; Doreen O’Leary, central office; Bryan Olkowski, Scofield Magnet Middle School; Susan Paley, Scofield Magnet Middle School; Joseph Palumbo, West Hills High School; Tina Rivera, Academy of Information Technology & Engineering; Mary Schaefer, Hart Magnet School; and Mark Woodard, Still Meadow Elementary School. Winifred Hamilton, deputy superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, is one of the instructors, and Superintendent Starr is a guest instructor. To fund the first class of the Urban School Leaders Fellowship, the Foundation awarded a $200,000 grant to the Connecticut Center for School Change, which provides project management, additional instructors and materials, and pays the Fellows’ $2,000 stipends. United Illuminating contributed to the Foundation to support the program. Hewitt Associates and Norwalk Community College donated meeting space. The Foundation is seeking funding partners to support continuing the program for future Fellowships. “We estimate that the thirty-two Fellows in this first class will have the opportunity to transform schools that teach tens of thousands of the most vulnerable children in Fairfield County,” said Susan Ross, president and CEO of the Fairfield County Community Foundation. “Although philanthropy makes up a fraction of educational funding, when well targeted, it can achieve significant change.” About The Fairfield County Community Foundation The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes the growth of community and regional philanthropy to improve the quality of life throughout Fairfield County. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds and contribute to existing funds. The Foundation provides philanthropic advisory services, and develops and leads initiatives—including the Urban School Leaders Fellowship—to tackle critical community issues. It is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards for community foundations. The Fairfield County Community Foundation merged with the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation in January 2008. The merged Foundation’s net assets approach $150 million. The combined history includes over $90 million in grantmaking to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. For more information, visit www.fccfoundation.org. © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. 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