Larry Schweinhardt
Chair, Research Division
HighScope Education Research Foundation
Ypsilanti, MI
(734) 485-2000
LarryS@HighScope.org
Larry Schweinhart is an early childhood program researcher and
speaker for policy makers, educators and advocates throughout the
United States and in other countries. He has conducted research
at the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation in Ypsilanti,
Michigan, since 1975 and has chaired its research division since
1989. He currently directs the following projects:
- High/Scope's Head Start Quality Research Center, a five-year
effort to assess the quality and effectiveness of Head Start,
with an emphasis on the contribution of staff development activities.
- The state evaluation of the Michigan School Readiness Program
for at-risk four-year-olds and an evaluation workshop series around
the state.
- The Program Recognition Project, which identified and publicized
ten early childhood programs across the country that excel in
quality, staff compensation, and affordability to parents.
- The development and validation of the High/Scope Child Observation
Record as a developmentally appropriate method for assessing young
children's development from infancy through elementary school.
He has also assisted with the IEA Preprimary Project, a 15-nation
study of the prevalence, quality, and effectiveness of various
settings for four-year-olds.
Dr. Schweinhart is the lead researcher on the High/Scope Perry
Preschool Study - the landmark study establishing the extraordinary
human and financial potential of high-quality early childhood programs;
and the High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison Study - which
provides persuasive evidence that child-initiated learning activities
are central to high-quality early childhood programs. These studies
will soon be collecting data from their original preschool participants
in midlife, at ages 33 to 40.
Dr. Schweinhart recently completed a four-year term on the Governing
Board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children,
during which he chaired the panel on quality, compensation, and
affordability. For the eight years before that, he served as public
policy co-chair for the Michigan Association for the Education of
Young Children and today serves as its public policy chair. He received
his Ph.D. in Education from Indiana University in 1975. He has taught
fourth and seventh grades as well as graduate and undergraduate
college courses. He and his wife have two children who are now young
adults.
State Representative Pan Godchaux
40th House District
(517) 373-0824
Professional Experience: House of Representatives, Member House
Appropriations Committee. Subcommittees: Consumer & Industry Services/Dept.
of Career Development/Michigan Strategic Fund Agency, Chair; Community
Colleges, Vice-Chair; School Aid & Dept. of Education; Higher Education;
Family Independence Agency.
Caucus/Task Forces: Cultural Tourism and Heritage; Urban Caucus;
Child Care, Co-Chair; Fiscal, Oversight and Intergovernmental Affairs
Committee, Appointed.
Co-convener: Childrens Caucus; SEMCUS (Southeast Michigan Caucus);
Women Officials Network.
Awards: Legislator of the Year- Michigan Association of Regions
(1999), Michigan Maternal and Child Health (1999), and CAUSE (Citizens
Alliance to Uphold Special Education)(1998); Wonder Woman (1998),
Womens Survival Center.
Advisory Board Memberships: Oakland County Coordinating Council
Against Domestic Violence; Wayne State University School of Education;
Birmingham Junior League: Community Advisory Council; Birmingham
Historical Museum; Oakland County Child Watch; National Board of
Womens Actions for New Directions (WAND); and Womens Legislative
Lobby (WiLL).
Birmingham Board of Education, served for ten years and held the
offices of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer; Directed
the search for Birmingham Schools Superintendent; Member of Central
Strategic Plan Committee; Recognized by the Michigan Association
of School Boards for outstanding service.
Former third grade teacher in the Detroit Public Schools, former
print and broadcast journalist, and returned Peace Corps Volunteer
serving in Bolivia.
Personal: Mother of three children: two in college, one in high
school; Religion-Unitarian Universalist.
Education: Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, Studying for Masters
of Arts in Teaching and The American University, Washington D.C.,
Bachelors of American Government.
Memberships: Fellow of the Michigan Political Leadership Program
at Michigan State University; Alumnus of Leadership Detroit; Alumnus
of Flemming Fellows; Founding Board Member of The League of Women
Voters, Oakland County area and editor of the newsletter.
State Representative Lynne Martinez
69th House District
(517) 485-2950
Employment: House of Representatives, 69th District State Representative
April 1994-Present
Assignments: Appropriations and Democratic Whip
Sub-committees: Community Health (MVC), General Government (MVC),
Family Independence Agency, School Aid and Department of Education
1992-1994 Manager, Franklin Street Housing Cooperative, Lansing,
Michigan, Incorporating Member 1987
1985-1994 Ingham County Commissioner
1981-1993 Self Employed, Gentlewood Landscape Designer and Contractor,
Lansing, Michigan
Education: Lansing Community College, Landscape Architecture Technology,
Associate of Science Degree, 1981
Public Service & Community Involvement: Capital Area Health Alliance,
Coalition for Community Concerns, Youth in Government Board Member,
Downtown Neighborhood Association, East Side Neighborhood Organization
Dorothy Beardmore
President
MI State Board of Education
Rochester, MI
BeardmoreD@state.mi.us
Dorothy Beardmore has been a member of the State Board of Education
in Michigan since 1985. She is the current President of the Board.
She served eight years on the Rochester Board of Education (1967-75)
and ten years on the Board of Education of Oakland Schools (1974-84).
She earned an A.B. Degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
She has promoted educational reform throughout her time on the
State Board, beginning with new teacher certification rules in 1985,
requiring focused, relevant professional development for teachers
to warrant re-certification at five-year intervals. She chaired
a National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) study,
"Rethinking Curriculum: A Call for Fundamental Reform:" (1988) and
in 1989 focused on "Today's Children, Tomorrow's Survival: A Call
to Restructure Schools." These experiences and reports became partial
basis for Michigan's education reform and influenced development
of Public Act 25 of 1990.
From 1995-97 she chaired the NASBE/CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention) "Healthy Schools Network," a fifteen state
inter-agency coalition to promote health for school age children
and their families. She still chairs Michigan's "Healthy Schools
Network" team.
In 1995 and 1996, she was a member of a NASBE study on "State Governance
Systems for Education," and in 1999 chairs a NASBE study on "Confronting
Social Issues: The Role of Schools."
By gubernatorial appointment, she is one of Michigan's representatives
to the Midwestern Higher Education Commission, a consortium of ten
Midwestern states and their public and independent post-secondary
institutions. She is an appointed "Delegate At Large" of the Southeast
Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), a coalition of the seven
counties of Southeast Michigan.
Among the honors she has received are: Rotary International Paul
Harris Fellow; Oakland-Macomb Center for Independent Living "Spirit
of Independence Award"; "Educational Leadership Award" from Michigan
Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA); Oakland
County School Boards' Association "Salute"; Comprehensive School
Health Coordinators "Healthy Children Award"; "Distinguished Service
to Education Award" from Michigan School Public Relations Association,
and induction into the "Michigan Education Hall of Fame."
Sharon Gire
Clinton Township, MI
Mrs. Sharon Gire was elected to the State Board of Education in
1998. She currently serves as the State Board's delegate to the
National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE).
Prior to her election to the State Board of Education, Mrs. Gire
served as an elected representative in the Michigan legislature
from 1987-1998, serving on multiple committees including the Human
Services and Education Committees, ultimately serving as Chair of
the House Education Committee.
She also served as an elected County Commissioner in Macomb County
prior to her election to the Michigan Legislature. Her interests
have always been focused on issues impacting children and youth.
Mrs. Gire earned a B.S. in Education from the Ohio State University
and an M.S.W. from Wayne State University. She has worked with the
YWCA at the county and national level, Big Brothers/Big Sisters
of Macomb County, and the Interfaith Center for Racial Justice in
Macomb County.