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Washoe Board of Trustees Named Nevada School Board of the Year
Nevada Association of School Boards Presents
WCSD Leadership with Other Awards
Reno, NV (Dec. 1, 2011) - For its courage to challenge the status quo through an ambitious reform agenda that has led to improved student achievement, the Nevada Association of School Boards (NASB) named the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees as the 2011 Nevada School Board of the Year.
"The leadership, vision, and courage of the Washoe County School District's Board of School Trustees have led to substantive, positive reforms in Nevada's second largest district. The Board was the initial catalyst for change in 2009 when it actively sought a new superintendent that shared its reform-minded vision to reverse low graduation rates, inadequate test scores, and growing achievement gaps," NASB wrote in its announcement of the award winners.
WCSD Superintendent Heath Morrison cited the seven-member board's leadership and commitment to education as reasons for significant student growth and greater academic achievement in Washoe County. The District's graduation rate jumped from 56 percent to 70 percent between 2009 and 2011; this achievement was coupled by two years of improved test scores and shrinking achievement gaps.
Additionally, WCSD developed its strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 - Investing In Our Future, under the leadership and vision of the Board of Trustees. Several major initiatives that support student success have emerged from this plan, including the WCSD Parent University, the expansion of the District's tuition-based full-day kindergarten program, the improvement of the Gifted and Talented Education program and the launch of several initiatives to keep students engaged in school. The Board was recognized nationally with a 2011 Magna Award honorable mention from the American School Board Journal for one such initiative - Door to Door for Student Achievement, which is an intense community outreach effort that motivates at-risk students to return to and stay in school. The Council of Urban Boards of Education also named the WCSD Board of Trustees as a finalist for the 2011 Annual Award for Urban School Board Excellence.
"Our Board is a highly-effective, highly-motivational group of individuals that truly care about our children and their futures. Their leadership has empowered great change in Washoe County School District - change that is creating an education system where all students achieve academic excellence and graduate from our schools ready for college and highly-skilled careers," Morrison said. "I am honored to be working with this amazing board and making a difference in the lives of our children."
During its annual awards ceremony, NASB also awarded Morrison with the title of Superintendent of the Year and named WCSD Area Superintendent Debra Biersdorff as a School Administrator of the Year.
NASB cited Morrison's commitment to community and parent engagement and his advocacy for education at the local, state and national levels as reasons for the recognition.
"Heath is exactly the person we were looking for when we called for educational reform several years ago. He has re-energized our community and reminded us why education is so important. He has inspired genuine change and community support that is moving us toward being a top-performing school district in the nation," Board Vice President Ken Grein said.
WCSD Trustees also praised Biersdorff for her efforts to help all children succeed. Biersdorff served five years as principal at Wooster High School before becoming an area superintendent.
"We have thousands of amazing, dedicated educators in Washoe County schools and Debra embodies those characteristics. During her tenure at Wooster, she created a positive culture with high expectations for all students and staff. She is highly-deserving of this award," Board Clerk Scott Kelley said.
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89512
