Town Hall to Tackle How Urban Schools Can Improve Student Outcomes Amid Challenges

The Nation's Voice for Urban Education

October 2025 • Vol. 35 No. 7

www.cgcs.org

How schools can focus on student outcomes while navigating the many challenges they face will be the center of discussion at the Council of the Great City Schools’ town hall meeting on Oct. 24 in Philadelphia.

Who Will be Named the 2025 Urban Educator of the Year?

Anticipation will fill the air on the evening of Oct. 23, when the top honor for urban-education leadership will be announced at the Council of the Great City Schools’ 68th annual Fall Conference in Philadelphia.

Winston-Salem Welcomes New Superintendent; Palm Beach Leader Earns Perfect Evaluation

Don Phipps has been tapped to lead North Carolina’s Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system.

Toledo Aims to Transform Education Through New Community-Focused Campus

Growing up in the blue-collar East Toledo neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio, Romules Durant witnessed the strength of a true community, he says. Factory workers headed to good-paying jobs, fathers coached sports, mothers volunteered in schools, and grandparents looked after the neighborhood kids.

Council Releases Reports Highlighting the Value of NAEP and Supporting Newcomer Students

Two timely reports, one on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the other on identifying and supporting newcomer students, are now available from the Council of the Great City Schools at: https://www.cgcs.org/publications.

Public Education Matters Blog: Detroit Expands Role of Counselors to Support Student Mental Well-Being

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Renata Bush's job as a counselor at Detroit’s Davison Elementary mostly entailed programming students' academic schedules and tending to administrative tasks.

Upcoming Events

Council of the Great City Schools 69th Annual Fall Conference

When:

October 22 - October 26, 2025

Where:

Marriott Philadelphia Downtown

Philadelphia, PA

Executive Director

Ray Hart

Editor

Tonya Harris

tharris@cgcs.org

Staff Writer

Joanne Coley

jcoley@cgcs.org

Staff Writer

Kalin Hicks

khicks@cgcs.org

Chair

Sonja Brookins Santelises

CEO, Baltimore

Chair-elect

Valerie Davis

Board Member, Fresno

Secretary-Treasurer

Jill Baker

Superintendent, Long Beach

A newsletter published by the Council of the Great City Schools, representing 81 of the nation’s largest urban public school districts. Click here to learn more. All news items should be submitted to Tonya Harris (tharris@cgcs.org).