2009 Superintendent of the Year Dr. Beverly Hall of Atlanta Featured on District Leader's Podcast

Dr. Beverly L. Hall, who has served as the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools for a decade and was recently named the 2009 Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators, is featured on DistrictLeadersPodcast.com, a Web site that provides an easily accessible forum for school superintendents and other educational leaders. In the podcast, Dr. Hall shares insights on the strategy required to implement district-wide change, drive student achievement and set new standards of quality for Atlanta Public Schools (APS).

In an interview with Arthur Griffin, Jr., senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Education's Urban Advisory Resource, Dr. Hall candidly discusses how, after starting as a teacher in challenging neighborhoods, she found herself in school administration. She also discusses the importance of national standards, essential strategies necessary for a school district's success, and her experiences in her award-winning tenure as APS superintendent. Dr. Hall provides several examples from her years of experience as leader and change agent in urban public schools.

"I have met children from the most challenging backgrounds, but if you give them a good teacher and create the right environment with high expectations, those children can and do succeed," Dr. Hall said.

When Dr. Hall first joined APS in 1999, she promised to transform the district into a world-class school system, using nationally proven reform models, facility upgrades and business operations redesign. Under her leadership, standardized test scores have risen, aging facilities have been renovated and a new blueprint for business operations is being implemented. The district's vision is that APS will be one of the nation's highest performing urban school systems, with 90 percent of its ninth-graders graduating from high school in four years ready for success in college or career.

In addition to setting an aggressive reform agenda to accelerate student achievement, Dr. Hall has worked actively with the community to gain support for public education in Atlanta. She has developed relationships with the business community, civic organizations, nonprofits and government leaders. As a result, APS has an extensive network of partners who donate time, resources and volunteers to help individual schools.

Before her post in Atlanta, Dr. Hall was state district superintendent of the Newark Public Schools, the largest school district in the state of New Jersey. Before then, she served as deputy chancellor for instruction of the New York City Public Schools; superintendent, Community School District 27, Queens, New York; and principal, Junior High School 113 and Public School 282, Brooklyn, New York.

About DistrictLeadersPodcast.com

The District Leader's Podcast team is passionate about education and deeply committed to student success. The site serves as a valuable tool for anyone interested in improving America's schools. District Leader's Podcast is sponsored by McGraw-Hill Education's Urban Advisory Resource comprising former education leaders and other experts with extensive experience in managing large school districts. It is produced by TeachersPodcast.org, a professional development resource for educators with an audience of more than 4.3 million listeners. The podcast is currently listed on iTunes as "New and Notable" for K-12 Education.

The only national podcast created expressly for district leaders, District Leader's Podcast features topics that include: Making the Tough Decisions, Improving Student Performance, Urban Education, Trends in Education and Leadership.

Visit www.DistrictLeadersPodcast.com for more information.

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SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education; District Leaders Podcast

CONTACT: Tom Stanton of McGraw-Hill Education, +1-212-904-3214,
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com, or Karen Twinem of Paul Werth Associates,
+1-614-224-8114 Ext. 266, ktwinem@paulwerth.com

Web Site: http://www.districtleaderspodcast.com/
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