Biography
I am a former classroom teacher, school counselor, and school administrator who successfully designed, developed and helped implement a process that: dramatically increased parental engagement, increased post-secondary school attendance and significantly lowered my Title 1 high school’s dropout rate. The U.S. Department of Education, Business Week, Fortune Magazine, National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and The New York Times have recognized my work. In addition, I served as the Education Division Chair of the American Society for Quality and helped develop the National Quality Award, the Malcolm Baldridge Award for Education.
In 2014, I was nominated for the Brock International Prize in Education for “demonstrating clear evidence of success in dropout prevention and for retaining students in alternative education environments.” I was one of nine people, globally, to be nominated. Previously he had been awarded the Individual Crystal Star Award by the National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) and the International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention honored him with its “Program of the Year Award”. I was selected as one of the top 30 Educational Gurus for 2015. Auburn University presented me with their “Hero Award” as the individual who has addressed bullying situations in schools in June 2016. Auburn University awarded me the “Auburn Hero Award” for my work in “reducing dropouts and for helping Alternative Education Schools.”
In addition, I am an internationally recognized speaker, trainer and author of twelve best-selling books. My latest book: Who Will Teach The Children? Recruiting, Retaining, & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators. In addition, I have written over 100 published articles dealing with school reform. One of my books, “Helping Students Graduate” has been recognized by the National Education Goals Panel as “being effective in solving our school dropout problem.” The book utilizes 15 strategies that were developed in conjunction with the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University.
I have delivered workshops and trained educators in forty-nine states in the US and in fifteen countries including Canada, Latin America, and Europe.