For more information, contact:
                                                                                                  Denise L. Berkhalter
                                                                                  dberkhalter@alabamaschoolboards.org

Helms Tapped for National Network
of 100 School Leaders for Citizenship & Service Learning

MONTGOMERY, AL – (March 16, 2006) – Sue Helms, Madison city school board president and president-elect of the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB), will represent the state April 7 in Chicago as a member of the 100 District Leaders for Citizenship and Service-Learning Network.

Helms is the only Alabamian competitively selected along with 43 other school board members and superintendents nationwide for advancing citizenship education and service-learning.

The developing network established by the Education Commission of the States’ National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) will meet in April at the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Annual Conference in Chicago. NSBA and the American Association of School Administrators join NCLC in creating this national network.

“As a member of the AASB Board of Directors, Sue Helms has exhibited solid leadership and dedicated service,” said Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried, AASB’s executive director. “Our president-elect will represent the association well and is sure to make Alabama proud of her service with this elite network of school leaders.”

Anne L. Bryant, NSBA executive director, said, “In the face of increasing pressure to raise test scores, school leaders often lose sight of the importance of preparing our children to be contributing citizens to their own communities and to our greater democracy. This new network is a wonderful step to renew our commitment to the founding principle of public education.”

Helms, a 13-year veteran of two school boards, was chosen because of her commitment to civic engagement in schools. Prior to her membership on the Madison city school board, Helms served on the Madison County Board of Education.

“I have worked hard on numerous projects to ensure both adults and students have a voice and are involved,” Helms wrote. “My most recent project has been to spearhead creation of the Madison City Schools Educational Excellence Council comprised of a diverse group of concerned constituents who want to improve the lives of children and families.”

Helms said her selection to the 100 District Leaders network is an exciting honor and a testament to her effort to foster civic engagement on board committees and in Madison schools.

“I am both honored and proud to serve,” Helms said of her selection. “This is a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and experiences to continue educating our students and communities about the values of citizenship, character and service.”

Helms’ active involvement in AASB includes her chairmanship of the committee to revamp AASB’s grassroots lobbying efforts. In addition, she is a member of the association’s Executive/Legislative Committee and previously served four terms on the Resolutions Committee, which proposes AASB’s legislative positions for the coming year. In AASB’s Academy – the association’s school for school board members – she has reached the master level.

In addition, Helms has served for a number of years as a member of the Federal Relations Network and as a participant in the NSBA Technology and Learning group and the National Association for Year-Round Education. She also frequently travels to Montgomery to confer with Madison County legislators about pending legislation.

NCLC’s initial application and selection process resulted in 23 school system superintendents and 21 school board members for the network. Helms and the others were selected from a national pool of applicants based on their leadership and commitment to integrate and sustain quality citizenship education and service-learning in K-12 schools. The other 56 members of the network will be selected and announced in the fall.

Network members are to deepen support for citizenship education and service-learning in their school systems by writing articles, conducting conference workshops and hosting policy forums to build awareness.

“These district leaders, individually, are reversing the trend of youth disengagement. Now they have a formal mechanism to work together to advance this important mission of public education,” said NCLC executive director Terry Pickeral.

The National Center for Learning and Citizenship was formed in 1997 at the Denver, Colo.-based Education Commission of the States to assist state and district policymakers and education leaders to identify, develop and implement policies to support student academic and civic achievement.

The Alabama Association of School Boards represents all of the state’s local school boards. Founded in 1949, AASB serves education leaders and the interests of local lay control of public education. With headquarters in Montgomery, AASB provides members with a wide array of services, including boardmanship training seminars, risk management programs, legal assistance and policy research.

To see the names of the initial slate of network members, visit www.ecs.org/nclc or contact Ann Rautio at 303/299-3606 or arautio@ecs.org. For more information about the Alabama Association of School Boards, contact Denise L. Berkhalter, Director of Public Relations, at 334/277-9700 or dberkhalter@alabamaschoolboards.org.

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