School & District Management

State Journal

By Alan Richard — September 12, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Crossing Party Lines

One of the nation’s longest-serving Democratic state schools chiefs has joined the otherwise all-Republican board of directors at the Education Leaders Council.

Nancy S. Grasmick, the superintendent in Maryland since 1991, agreed last week to join the board of the ELC. She said her decision did not reflect any ill will toward the rival Council of Chief State School Officers, and she plans to be active in both organizations.

“I am very interested in connecting with groups on school reform,” Ms. Grasmick said in an interview. “We have things to learn.”

Nancy S. Grasmick

Ms. Grasmick, one of Maryland’s best-known Democratic officials, has known the ELC’s chief executive officer, Lisa Graham Keegan, the former state superintendent in Arizona, and others involved with the group, for many years.

The Washington-based ELC was begun in 1995, in part as an alternative to the long-established CCSSO. Before Ms. Grasmick joined, the group had included eight chief state school officers—all Republicans.

But with the appointment of Ms. Keegan in June, the nonprofit organization unveiled an effort to alter its former image as a group of like-minded GOP state schools chiefs. Instead, Ms. Keegan said the group would seek to establish a broader, grassroots membership base and serve as “the nation’s premier group of practicing reformers.” (“Education Leaders Council Changes Focus, Membership,” June 20, 2001.)

Jim Nelson, the Texas commissioner of education and the chairman of the ELC board, praised Ms. Grasmick last week for “a long and distinguished record of working for reform and quality education for all children.”

Ms. Keegan described the Maryland chief as “an unapologetic advocate for high standards, rigorous assessment, and strong accountability in education,” and called her an outstanding addition to the ELC board.

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Rising Tensions From Israel-Hamas War Are Seeping Into Schools
As effects of the war reverberate in school communities, schools have federal responsibilities to create discrimination-free environments.
5 min read
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. The three students were being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and one faces a long recovery because of a spinal injury, a family member said.
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war are playing out in schools and colleges across the country, including some K-12 schools.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
School & District Management The Missed Opportunity for Public Schools and Climate Change
More cities are creating climate action plans, but schools are often left out of the equation.
4 min read
Global warming illustration, environment pollution, global warming heating impact concept. Change climate concept.
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week and iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management 13 States Bar School Board Members From Getting Paid. Here's Where It's Allowed (Map)
There are more calls to increase school board members' pay, or to allow them to be paid at all.
Two professional adults, with a money symbol.
sankai/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Bad Sleep Is a Problem for Principals. Here’s What to Do About It
Our new study highlights the connection between stress and sleep among school leaders, write three researchers.
Eleanor Su-Keene, David E. DeMatthews & Alex Keene
5 min read
Stylized illustration of an alarm clock over a background which is split in half, with one half being nighttime and one half being daytime.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva