October 16, 1998

 

Cirone reelected president of national board of IMPACT II

 

William J. Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, was re-elected president of the national board of directors of IMPACT II, the teachers network. Also elected to the executive committee were Charlotte Frank, McGraw-Hill, Inc.; Ilene Mack, Hearst Foundation; Ross C. Roadman, Ryder System Charitable Foundation, Inc.; James M. Rice, J.P. Morgan & Co., Inc.; and Mark Zvonkovic, Kind and Spaulding.

IMPACT II, entering its 15th year of operation, is a cost-effective, highly successful national effort to identify innovative, classroom-tested teaching ideas, and provide monetary awards both for the teachers who created them and for teachers who adapt the ideas into their own classrooms.

Business partners make possible this networking and distribution of excellent curriculum ideas by contributing to the publication of a catalog that explains all the projects and is given to all teachers. Partners also supply the actual grants and awards.

IMPACT II operates in 29 sites nationwide, with sites ranging in size from a single city to an entire state. Santa Barbara County was the first countywide site in the nation, and now involves all 23 school districts, more than 70 business partners, and more than 500 county teachers who are members of the network.

"By joining hands with local businesses to identify, recognize, and network outstanding teachers and their user-friendly, highly successful curriculum innovations, IMPACT II is a vehicle for reforming our classrooms from the inside, and effectively harnessing the expertise of these outstanding teachers," said superintendent Cirone.

"I have been excited to be involved with this project from its inception, and am truly honored to serve as national chair again this year."