AASA and the National PTA are celebrating excellence in family-school partnerships by honoring a leader dedicated to student and family success. The new Excellence in Family Engagement Award was presented in absentia to the superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Alex Marrero, during the 3rd General Session at AASA’s national conference in New Orleans Saturday morning.
The annual award recognizes a superintendent who has shown a commitment to driving equitable student outcomes by engaging families.
During the presentation, AASA’s incoming president David Law of Minnetonka, Minn., said the award serves as a symbol to encourage school system leaders to intentionally engage families and contribute to national efforts that sustain public and private funding for family-school partnerships.
Marrero, the first-ever recipient, has implemented best practices and integrated family engagement across strategic plans, budgets and district infrastructure.
Under his leadership, the Denver Public School district achieved its highest-ever graduation rates, increased proficiency rates and saw the implementation of its first-ever equity-based strategic plan.
The joint Excellence in Family Engagement Award comes with a $5,000 prize to support family engagement initiatives in the Denver school system. He was selected from more than 40 nominations by a panel of national experts.
The Excellence in Family Engagement Award is made possible by funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York and Overdeck Family Foundation.
