Leadership in Education Focus for New Holder of Endowed Chair

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The College of Education and Health Professions believes the development of high-quality leaders in schools is as important as the preparation of leaders for business, industry and government. The college announces the appointment of Robert Maranto to the Twenty-First Century Chair in Leadership at the University of Arkansas as part of a continuing effort to support schools and help develop the leaders they need.

The endowed chair is the sixth and final one to be filled in the college’s department of education reform created in 2005. A former professor of political science at Villanova University near Philadelphia, Maranto will study the role of leaders in education. Maranto has been researching, writing and teaching about education and leadership for more than 20 years.

“The college is engaged in several aspects of developing school leaders,” said Reed Greenwood, dean of the college. “From the Arkansas Leadership Academy based in the college to our educational leadership academic program to our new education reform department, we are focused on helping practitioners improve schools and providing resources and information they need to serve students.”

Greenwood cited a study released in July by educational leadership faculty that found a shortage of principals and of people interested in becoming principals in Arkansas and used a survey to identify some of the reasons for the shortage.

“We are very fortunate to have someoneof Dr. Maranto’s caliber join our faculty to conduct research into such topics as how good leaders are developed, what characteristics they share, whether they should receive incentives to work in low-performing schools and what flexibility of action they require in order to improve academic achievement,” Greenwood said. “We need to know more about how principals can turn around low-performing schools, and we need to know considerably more about how to prepare principals, superintendents and other education leaders.”

Maranto has produced seven books on charter schools, leadership and civil service reform. He is now co-editing two books, one on political correctness at universities and another judging the George W. Bush presidency. The second book will feature papers from a conference Maranto is holding Nov. 22 at Villanova University. The conference, called “Judging Bush,” will host two dozen scholars who hold diverse views of the Bush administration. The conference is co-sponsored by the University of Arkansas, the University of Southern Mississippi and Villanova.

Maranto is starting a third project on reforming urban schools. He has also penned numerous opinion pieces and articles for such newspapers and magazines as the Philadelphia Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and Charter School Monthly.

“We are very excited about the addition of Bob Maranto,” said Jay P. Greene, head of the department of education reform. “Bob is extremely prolific and applied in his research, working with school administrators, parents and policymakers to better understand and improve our educational system.”

Maranto earned a doctorate in political science from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Maryland. He has taught at Bryn Mawr College, Arizona State University, the University of Virginia, Lafayette College, James Madison University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Southern Mississippi.

The education reform department was established on July 1, 2005, and its mission is to advance education and economic development in Arkansas and nationwide by focusing on improvement of K-12 schools. The other four focus areas in addition to leadership are policy, accountability, school choice and teacher quality.

The department will offer a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education policy beginning in the fall of 2009. The department has already supported several students enrolled in doctoral programs in related disciplines.