President Obama to nominate BCPS Superintendent Dance to federal commission

Dance to advise President on educating African American students

President Barack Obama will nominate Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent S. Dallas Dance to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans, according to The White House.

In announcing this and other nominations on Thursday, President Obama said, “I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

The Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans, established in July 2012, is charged with identifying and disseminating best practices to increase the number of African American teachers and administrators; investing in early care and education programs; strengthening community support for education; and boosting college enrollment and graduation rates for African Americans.

Dr. Dance credited Team BCPS for bringing national attention to Baltimore County Public Schools. “The work of our dedicated educators in Baltimore County has earned our school system a well-deserved reputation for addressing many of the educational needs of African American students,” Dr. Dance said. “There is still much work to do, however, and I am excited to be representing our county and our school system as we move forward on a national level with ensuring educational excellence for all students.”

The commission is chaired by Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president of University of Maryland Baltimore County, and includes among its members Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd, president of Alabama State University; Dr. James P. Comer, Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University Child Study Center; Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, executive director and chief executive officer of the National Black Justice Coalition; and Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund.

This is Dr. Dance’s  second White House recognition  in less than a year. Last November, the President named Dance as one of 10 national “Connected Educator Champions of Change.”