Broward Schools Superintendent and Charlotte School Board Member Receive Nation's Top Urban Educator Award  

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 - Franklin Till, the superintendent for Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Arthur Griffin, a member of North Carolina's Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, were this year's recipients of the Richard R. Green Award, which is the highest honor for outstanding contributions to urban education. The award was presented recently at the Council of the Great City Schools' 47th Annual Fall Conference in Chicago.

The nation's top prize in urban education is given each year by the Council, a coalition of the nation's largest urban public school districts, and the ARAMARK ServiceMaster Facility Services company in memory of the late Richard R. Green, who led the Minneapolis and New York City public school systems. This is the third time in the 14-year history of the award program that two candidates were chosen.

Dr. Till has been at the helm of the nation's fifth largest school district since 1999 and has led the school system to significant gains in student achievement. Mr. Griffin is a 17-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board and has been instrumental in efforts to narrow the achievement gap between students of different racial groups within the district.

Each of the Green Award recipients received a $10,000 college scholarship to present to a deserving high school senior of their choice.

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