About Us





		About Us On August 11, 2006, Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, and Founder of Operation Respect, convened the first meeting of the United Voices for Education (UVE) at the National Association of Elementary School Principals headquarters in Virgina. The educational leaders present at this meeting elected a Steering Committee to develop our mission, vision and goals. UVE functions include: coalition-building; advocacy; communications; networking; and constituency building. Our Principles We can only reach the goal of all children graduating from high school prepared for success in further education, work, college, and participatory citizenship if we focus on educating the whole child. Educating the “whole child” means meeting all the developmental needs of all children, which include their academic, as well as their social, and emotional needs.
		Successful whole child education is made possible only when students are assured a safe, respectful, bully-free and violence-free school environment that is conducive to, and free of crucial impediments to, their full and healthy academic, social, and emotional growth and development. A positive school climate can be assured only if schools’ efforts to improve their school climate are encouraged and primary value is placed on school climate as a measure of the overall success of a school’s efforts to provide a good education in a learning friendly environment for all its students For a school climate to improve, such improvement needs to be viewed and prioritized by schools as being equal in importance to their efforts to meet any accountability standards relating to students’ academic improvement. For the academic success of students to improve, conditions for learning in schools must improve as well, which improvement can only occur when impediments to children’s education and growth are reduced or eliminated through the establishment of a safe, caring, respectful school climate. The development of students’ interpersonal skills, creative and strategic thinking, love of learning, artistic skills, positive sensibilities, and adaptability are essential for students to become upstanding, responsible citizens who are intellectually curious as well as personally fulfilled, and will in turn enhance students’ success in life. Effective and proven interventions, strategies and programs that are supportive of educating the whole child will, when responsibly implemented over a period of time, develop students’ social skills, community awareness and civic responsibility, and that development, in turn, leads to improvement in students’ academic achievement and success.
		UVE Steering Committee Arnold Fege, Chair Director, Public Engagement and Advocacy Public Education Network 601 13th Street, NW, Suite 710 South Washington, DC 20005 202-628-7460 afege@publiceducation.org www.publiceducation.org Mission: To build public demand and mobilize resources for quality public education for all children through a national constituency of local education funds and individuals. Molly McCloskey, Vice Chair Director, Constituent Partnerships Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 1703 N. Beauregard Street Alexandria, VA 22311 703-578-9600 ext 5475 mmccloskey@ascd.org www.ascd.org Mission: Advocating sound policies and sharing best practices to achieve the success of each learner. Nelda Brown Executive Director National Service Learning Partnership at the Academy for Educational Development 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20009 202-884-8595 nbrown@aed.org www.service-learningpartnership.org Mission: Dedicated to advancing service-learning as a core part of every young person's education. Dr. Charlotte Frank Chair, Board of Directors Operation Respect Senior Vice President Research and Development McGraw-Hill Education 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 50th Floor New York, NY 10020 212-512-6512 charlotte_frank@mcgraw-hill.com www.mcgraw-hill.com Mission: To address virtually every aspect of the education market from pre-K through professional learning. Using traditional materials, online learning and multimedia tools, we empower the growth of teachers, professionals and students of all ages. Bob Lynch President Americans for the Arts 1000 Vermont Avenue, NW, 6th Floor Washington, DC 20005 202-371-2830 rllynch@artsusa.org www.artsusa.org Mission: Dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. David Osher Managing Director American Institutes for Research And Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 202-342-5000 dosher@air.org www.casel.org Mission: Enhance children's success in school and life by promoting coordinated, evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning as an essential part of education from preschool though high school. Patrick Phillips Executive Director Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools Council for Excellence in Government 1301 K Street, NW, Suite 450 West Washington, DC 20005 202-728-0418 pphillips@excelgov.org www.civicmissionofschools.org Mission: Works with its coalition partners to bring about changes in state, local, and national policy. The Campaign's goal is to increase and improve civic learning in grades K-12 by working for policies that implement the recommendations of the Civic Mission of Schools report. Peter Yarrow President and Founder Operation Respect 2 Penn Plaza, 5th Floor New York, NY 10121 212-580-5308 pyarrow@operationrespect.org www.operationrespect.org Mission: To create respectful, safe and compassionate climates of learning where children's academic, social and emotional growth can take place free of bullying, ridicule and violence.