Make the Grade Governor’s charge to school principals and Darden-Curry leadership program

Photo by Michael Bailey

Serious about improving the lives of youths in Virginia, Gov. Mark Warner (center) made a trip to the Darden School June 21 to discuss ways to turn around poorly performing public schools.

Staff Report

By Anne Bromley

A quick hush spread over the class. Then the students broke into applause as Gov. Mark R. Warner took his seat next to them in the small, tiered Darden School classroom. They were listening to business professor Alexander Horniman discuss what qualities make for a high-performing business. The 10 students were not your typical business executives; they are school principals from around the state participating in a new program Warner initiated, called the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program.

Although the governor, a former venture capitalist, was relaxed and made jokes as he answered Horniman’s pointed questions, he spoke seriously about what he expected from the school principals, whom he challenged to improve the education and lives of youth by “turning around” poorly performing schools in Virginia.

The state chose the Darden-Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education to custom-design a program teaching school principals and other administrators ‘turnaround’ principles. Warner’s program, part of his Education for a Lifetime initiative, aims to equip school officials with the business skills corporate executives and “turnaround specialists” use to solve problems and make changes that put complex organizations back on the track of success. Full story.

Class of 2008 is diverse, well-qualified

By Dan Heuchert

This fall’s entering class appears to be both more diverse and better qualified academically than last year’s, according to preliminary admissions figures announced July 1 by the University.

As of late June, African Americans and blacks from other countries made up 10 percent of the 3,165 students who had accepted U.Va.’s offer of admission, up from 9 percent last year. Also increasing were the percentage of Asian and Asian-American students (14 percent, up from 13 percent last year) and Hispanic/Latino students (5 percent, up from 3 percent). Full story.