01-27-2011 13:50
Former Houston school board member Cathy Mincberg has replaced Don McAdams as president and chief executive officer of the Center for Reform of School Systems (CRSS).
Houston-based CRSS, founded by McAdams in 2001, provides reform governance training for school boards and superintendents throughout the nation. The organization has trained leaders from more than 100 school districts—including many of America’s largest—to adopt policies and strategies that are designed to make significant improvements in student achievement.
Mincberg assumed leadership of the organization on January 1, 2011. She has been at the forefront of public education reform as a school board member in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and a senior administrator in two urban districts, including HISD and Portland Public Schools in Portland, Oregon.
“I know that strong partnerships between boards and superintendents are essential for school districts to meet the challenge of educating all children and eliminating the achievement gap,” Mincberg said. “I believe that CRSS is a valuable asset in building these partnerships.”
McAdams, who is semi-retiring, will stay involved with CRSS as chairman of the Board of Directors and focus his professional time on writing, speaking, and delivering on-site governance training.
“Recognizing at 70 that time is not unlimited and wanting to spend more time with family and personal interests, I have decided to cut my professional time to about 50 percent,” McAdams said. “I am delighted that Cathy Mincberg, who is ideally suited to provide executive leadership and take CRSS to the next level, has accepted the CRSS board’s offer to assume my responsibilities as president and CEO.”
McAdams and Mincberg served overlapping board terms in HISD at a time when the district developed a reform agenda that resulted in higher student achievement. McAdams was on the board from 1990 to 2002; Mincberg served from 1982 to 1995.
Mincberg retired from the board to work for HISD as the district’s director of community engagement and, later, as the chief business officer. In Portland, Mincberg served four years as the chief operations officer for the Portland Public Schools, leading a massive reconfiguration of the district’s schools. In addition, she has worked as chief academic officer and vice president of KC Distance Learning in Portland, as founder and president of the Center for School District Effectiveness, and as a biology teacher at Lamar High School in Houston.
Mincberg holds a Doctor of Education from the University of Houston as well as a Master of Arts in educational administration and a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Texas.
To contact Cathy Mincberg please email, mincberg@crss.org