Marguerite Kondracke joins Board of Directors at The American Academy

By The American Academy
Published: Wednesday, May. 15, 2013 – 6:42 am

SALT LAKE CITY, May 15, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ — The American Academy, which partners with school districts across the United States to serve students who have dropped out of school or are at risk of doing so, has announced the appointment of former America’s Promise Alliance president Marguerite W. Kondracke to its board of directors.
The announcement comes as Kondracke is receiving further acknowledgment of her contributions to children and families in the form of the Return on Education Lifetime Achievement Award for her four decades of work as a social entrepreneur and public servant.

In response to a need she recognized for working parents to care for their children, Kondracke co-founded Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the nation’s largest provider of employer-sponsored childcare. Later, as the chief executive for America’s Promise, which was founded in 1997 by Gen. Colin Powell to make children a national priority, Kondracke helped energize a conversation on the dropout epidemic that has prompted nationwide action.

“Marguerite has done so much for our nation’s children,” said American Academy chief executive officer Ray Kelly. “She’s a tenacious fighter and her track record at building organizations is incredible, so we’re thrilled to have her on a team dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk students.”

A rapidly expanding part of that effort is The American Academy’s NoDropouts program, which leverages the flexibility of online learning with the power of personal support to help at-risk students succeed. The program is in use by more than 80 school districts across the country.

“There is so much potential in each student that is too easily written off when the circumstances of their lives overcome their ability to keep attending school in the traditional way,” Kondracke said. “What NoDropouts promises is a chance to carry on with the flexibility and support students need to overcome those obstacles. That’s changing lives — and I’m so excited to be part of it.”

Prior to her service at America’s Promise, Kondracke served as special assistant to U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, staff director for the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families, and commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Human Services.

For more information on The American Academy and its NoDropouts program, visit NoDropouts.com.
Contact: Jeff Beck, 801-877-1551, Jeff.Beck@NoDropouts.com

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/15/5422248/marguerite-kondracke-joins-board.html#storylink=cpy