Hero worship.

You've probably noticed how Sarah Jerome, AASA's elected leader for 2007-08, is using a portion of her President's Corner commentary each month to tell us about some of her personal heroes, one at a time. This month's "Hero Profile" mentions a researcher who has tied music instruction to cognitive development.

You can read about several others in this issue who I'd say qualify as heroes for their courageous leadership in the local schools arena. There's Stephen Joel, the superintendent in Grand Island, Neb., who readied his school system to protect immigrant children after federal agents carted off their parents from the processing plant where they worked to detention centers last winter (page 14). There's Rosa Smith, a former superintendent and foundation leader whose voice on the plight of black boys has raised this issue to the top of the agenda (page 23). There's Terry Furin, who as a superintendent stared down a Neo-Nazi campaign in his school district in suburban Philadelphia (page 32). And there's Jeanne Collins, who as superintendent in Burlington, Vt., is forcing citizens to act on their liberal leanings to frontally address socioeconomic segregation in the schools (page 59).

I'm sorry space limitations prevent me from pointing to others in the same vein. Unfortunately, such individuals aren't always seen by others in heroic terms. Parents and community members tend to be too caught up in day-to-day busyness to take much notice of the resolute and principled leadership at the helm of their schools. I guess that's why I enjoy using our pages as a forum to call attention to these deserving public servants.

I invite you to tell me about others we ought to be aware of.

Jay P. Goldman

Voice: 703-875-0745

E-mail: [e-mail]

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