Barbara Taylor Bowman, Co-Founder, Erikson Institute;
Sharon Lynn Kagan, Associate Dean for Policy and Marx Professor of Early
Childhood and Family Policy, Teachers College; and
Ellen Moir, Executive Director, New Teacher Center, University Of California,Santa Cruz
Prize Winners' Careers Focus on Importance of Early Preparation
for Students and Teachers
NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Preparing students and teachers for
success has been the focus of three exceptional educators who are being
honored today for their innovations and accomplishments. Barbara Bowman,
Sharon Lynn Kagan and Ellen Moir are the 2005 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in
Education winners, Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive
officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies announced today. The three are being
recognized for their work in early childhood education and teacher
professional development. These three remarkable women will be saluted at a
dinner at the New York City Public Library this evening.
"Few educators have thought more about student and teacher preparedness
than those we are honoring today," said Mr. McGraw. "From creating standards
for model early childhood education systems to establishing support programs
for new teachers, the 2005 McGraw Prize winners have brought necessary
attention to what is at the foundation of successful efforts to educate our
nation's children."
The winners of the 18th annual McGraw Prize are:
Barbara T. Bowman -- Bowman has been a powerful advocate for children for
more than 50 years and is a lifelong proponent of higher education for those
who teach and care for young children. Bowman is a pioneer in building
knowledge and understanding of the issues of access and equity for minority
children.
The Erikson Institute she founded was established in 1966 to educate
preschool teachers to work with at-risk children from low-income families in
the Head Start program. Today, largely because of Bowman's leadership,
Erikson's educational programs reach more than 2,500 students and, through
them, hundreds of thousands of children. Erikson alumni include teachers,
social workers, human service providers, and health practitioners in the
United States and throughout the world.
Sharon Lynn Kagan -- Kagan, widely recognized for her work with early
childhood education, is a frequent consultant to the White House, U.S.
Congress, the National Governors' Association, and the U.S. Departments of
Education and Health and Human Services.
Kagan is a prolific author, having written over 200 publications focusing
on issues including the development of an early childhood system, strategies
for collaboration and service integration, mechanisms to enhance the quality,
quantity, and financing of early childhood and other social programs.
Ellen Moir -- Moir is recognized nationally for her knowledge and
expertise in teacher preparation, induction and support. Moir founded the New
Teacher Center (NTC) in 1998 as a place where educators and researchers could
study, develop, and administer new teacher and administrator support programs.
The NTC consults with organizations, educational leaders and policy makers
worldwide. Current NTC efforts include mentor training initiatives in New
York City and the District of Columbia. Growing from an initial staff of
five, today NTC has 65 teachers and researchers who continue to spread the
influence of Moir's work.
"This year's McGraw Prize recipients show us that support early on -- be
it for pre-schoolers or beginning teachers -- is the key to sustained
success," added Mr. McGraw. "They have brought academic innovation as well as
a tireless focus to student and teacher preparation and ultimately have made
an important difference in the way we educate our children."
The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education annually recognizes
outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education
in this country and whose accomplishments are making a difference today.
Honorees are chosen by a distinguished panel of judges made up of thoughtful
and influential members of the education community. Each winner receives a
gift of $25,000 and a bronze sculpture. The Prize was established in 1988 to
honor Mr. McGraw's lifelong commitment to education, and to mark the
Corporation's 100th anniversary.
Past honorees include: Barbara Bush, founder of the Barbara Bush
Foundation for Family Literacy; James B. Hunt, Jr., former Governor of North
Carolina; former U.S. Secretaries of Education Richard Riley and Rod Paige;
Carl Cohn, former Superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District;
Yvonne Chan, Ed.D., Principal, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center; Mary E.
Diaz, Ph.D., Dean of Education, Alverno College; and Dennis Littky,
Co-Director of The Met and Director of the Principal Residency Network. In
2004, the honorees were Geoffrey Canada, President & CEO, Harlem Children's
Zone; Robert Moses, Founder and President, Algebra Project Inc.; Cecilia
Cunningham, Executive Director, The Middle College National Consortium,
LaGuardia Community College; and Janet Lieberman, Founder, Middle College High
School.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading
global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial
services, education and business information markets through leading brands
such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. The
Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were
$5.3 billion. Additional information is available at
http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
SOURCE The McGraw-Hill Companies
-0- 09/27/2005
/CONTACT: Mary Skafidas
The McGraw-Hill Companies
(212) 512-2826
mary_skafidas@mcgraw-hill.comSara AppleyardWidmeyer Communications
(202) 667-0901
sara.appleyard@widmeyer.com/
/Web site: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com /
(MHP)
CO: The McGraw-Hill Companies
ST: New York
IN: EDU PUB
SU: AWD CHI
KJ
-- NYTU015 --
0687 09/27/200508:00 EDThttp://www.prnewswire.com