Message from the New NSRF Interim Director

August 29th, 2009

Dear NSRF Community,

Welcome to the 2009-10 school year and the 16th year of the National School Reform Faculty serving students, teachers, and administrators by helping them develop democratic, collaborative learning communities in their schools.

By now you have likely received an e-mail from the Harmony Education Center Board announcing my new position with NSRF as Interim Director. I am grateful for the support and wisdom I will be receiving from Josephine Rice of the Houston NSRF Center and my long time friend Debbie Meier from New York as we form a new Advisory Board for NSRF.

I will be working part-time in this new position and will work in Indiana directly with NSRF and Harmony staff each month as well as in Wisconsin where I have another part-time position with the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Department of Education Leadership and Policy Analysis. In this role I will be a "School Improvement Coach" working directly with schools in the Racine, Wisconsin school district.

As you may have seen on our website the Accountability Council disbanded in late April, and some members of that Council began a new organization, the School Reform Initiative (or SRI) with an Interim Governing Board made up of several NSRF members. I have wished them well in their new endeavor knowing that there is important educational transformation to be done with teachers and principals throughout the country for the betterment of more students and their communities. There is room for many such organizations to make a positive impact.

I look forward to getting to know more of you and working with you to continue to grow our organization to bring about more equitable, democratically-run schools for more young people throughout this country.

Be in Peace,

Dave Lehman, PhD
NSRF Interim Director
davelehman@mac.com