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Oprah's Angel Network Supports New Leaders for New Schools' Chicago Award-Winning Principal Training Program

Posted on: Thursday, 21 May 2009, 08:00 CDT

Oprah's Angel Network Pledges $110,000 to Premiere School Leadership Program for the Benefit of Chicago's Children

CHICAGO, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Oprah's Angel Network awarded $110,000 to New Leaders for New Schools Chicago to support its nationally recognized program devoted to urban education reform through cutting-edge principal training. New Leaders for New Schools has partnered with Chicago Public Schools since 2001; 120 New Leaders are driving change and ensuring student achievement for nearly 50,000 Chicago Public School children.

"Our residency program immerses our New Leaders in the daily life of a principal," said Maggie Blinn, Executive Director of New Leaders for New Schools Chicago. "The generous support of Oprah's Angel Network provides essential funding to training that is key to the future success of our principals."

"The New Leaders for New Schools' principal preparation model demonstrates that a focus on school leadership can transform struggling schools," said Nicole Norfles, Education Program Officer for Oprah's Angel Network. "Oprah's Angel Network is pleased to fund an organization whose work will ultimately benefit Chicago's children and schools."

An example of the positive impact of New Leaders principals on student outcomes is the kind of transformation experienced at Dodge Renaissance Academy in New West. Previously one of the lowest performing schools in Chicago, Dodge was turned around by a New Leaders principal achieving the largest one-year test score gains in the state in 2006. Dodge continued strong in 2008, making double-digit gains across reading and math, yielding an average annual gain of 20 points over the four years of the principal's tenure. This type of transformation is occurring at many other New Leaders-led schools in Chicago, helping us learn how best to bring such student achievement gains to all Chicago Public Schools.

ABOUT NEW LEADERS FOR NEW SCHOOLS

New Leaders for New Schools has partnerships in Baltimore, the Bay Area of California, Charlotte, Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, Greater New Orleans, New York City, Prince George's County (MD), and Washington, DC. Since 2000, New Leaders has selected and trained over 550 outstanding leaders from over 8,500 applicants. New Leaders for New Schools was recognized in 2005 as the highest rated social enterprise and nonprofit in the nation by Fast Company magazine, and was the only national group chosen by the U.S. Department of Education in its best practices guide to school leadership.

New Leaders Chicago Program receives support from Chicago and national leading education philanthropists including the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, The Boeing Company, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Crown Family, The Chicago Public Education Fund, Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, and Prince Charitable Trusts. New Leaders for New Schools also receives support from Chicago Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information can be found at www.nlns.org.

ABOUT OPRAH'S ANGEL NETWORK

Oprah's Angel Network is a public charity that awards grants to organizations around the world that are improving access to education, protecting basic rights, creating communities of support and developing the leaders of tomorrow. For more information visit www.oprahsangelnetwork.org.

SOURCE New Leaders for New Schools

Source: PR Newswire

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