School & District Management

And the Broad Prize Winner Is...

September 16, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Aldine Independent School District!

Finally, the three-time bridesmaid (this was the fourth year that Aldine has been a finalist) has become the bride after the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation folks selected the suburban Houston district as the 2009 winner of the Broad Prize in Urban Education.

Broad, as usual, put on a glitzy affair to fete the winner, staging the ceremony this year at the new visitor center at the U.S. Capitol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi showed up, along with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, who, we are sure, was salivating at the prospects that his city’s school system could one day win. (Broad Prize 2015 perhaps?)

The award will shower Aldine with $1 million to be used for college scholarships for students who’ve made the biggest gains over a three-year period, but who otherwise don’t get a crack at merit-based scholarships.

So, there’s a ton of fanfare around this award every year, and, to be sure, there are urban districts out there hungry to win the prize. Dallas, for example, has its “Road to Broad” strategy. Mr. Broad, in establishing the prize, wanted to recognize the progress that urban schools, often overlooked and denigrated, have made in closing the achievement gap.

But I wonder how the broader field views this award.

Are the winners really the best urban districts in the nation? Or is the prize all about politics,

as some critics believe.

A version of this news article first appeared in the District Dossier blog.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
How District Leaders Align Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction for Student Success
Join K-12 leaders as they share strategies for aligning curriculum, assessment, and instruction to support all learners.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Achieve Early Literacy Success at Scale
Researchers have uncovered an intervention helping schools achieve early literacy success at scale. Learn how to bring it to your district.
Content provided by Ignite Reading

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion This Time of Year, Principals Have Two Jobs. Here’s How to Ace Them Both
Here are 4 tips on how to finish this school year strong—while preparing for the next.
3 min read
It's the time of year to develop current teachers and look ahead to future hires.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion When School Leaders Deliver Bad Directives
One of the upshots of issuing lame orders is breaking the trust of teachers, which may never be regained.
10 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion 3 Mistakes New Leaders Should Avoid
Districts are searching for aspiring leaders. What does it take to succeed in the role?
4 min read
Screen Shot 2025 01 16 at 5.28.27 PM
Canva
School & District Management 3 Big Challenges School Lunch Programs Face as They Feed Students
School nutrition directors report problems with costs, supply shortages, and staffing.
4 min read
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Aug. 22, 2023.
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 22, 2023. Rising costs and staff shortages are squeezing school nutrition programs.
Susan Montoya Bryan/AP