Oakland, CA–June 9, 2008. Mills College doctoral student in the School of Education Elizabeth Rood has received a national award for her work as principal of Leadership High School in San Francisco. 

Rood has won the 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors In Education Award, a national program that recognizes the most collaborative public school principals in 25 cities, including San Francisco. As a role model for community engagement activities, Rood's efforts have earned a $5,000 grant for her school. 

Leadership High School is a small public charter school in San Francisco, one of five schools in the state of California recognized by the Stanford School Redesign Network for doing outstanding work to close the achievement gap between minority and white students. The school has developed relationships with churches, youth organizations, civic organizations, healthcare providers, libraries, and other schools to help create a support network for their students and families. 

"Principals play a crucial role in building family, school, and community relationships to encourage successful teaching and learning," said Sibyl Jacobson, president and CEO of the MetLife Foundation, which has awarded more than 100 educators with the honor.

For her doctoral studies at Mills, Rood is currently studying the connection between ninth grade achievement and high school graduation and the ways in which schools help ninth grade students achieve success in a college-preparatory high school program. Rood already has both teaching and administrative credentials from the Mills College School of Education. 

"Elizabeth is the kind of student and graduate who makes the entire faculty of the School of Education proud. Her leadership work has significance locally and nationally," said Associate Professor of Education David M. Donahue. 

Donahue said Mills College education students are attracted to teaching and leading at schools like Leadership High School because of their commitment to the local community and their attention to personalized education for students. Schools that are small by design ensure that all students are seen, heard, and supported as whole persons, he said. 

For example, Peter Myers, who received his social studies teaching credential at Mills College in 2003, had been a teacher at Leadership High until his recent acceptance to become the new director of leadership studies at the African Leadership Academy in South Africa. Current Leadership High School math teacher LaWanda Muhammad also received her teaching credentials at Mills College. 

Teachers in California must have certified teaching credentials to teach in public schools. The Mills College School of Education provides graduate education in early childhood education, teacher preparation, and educational leadership. Graduates of the teaching credential program at Mills have almost a 100 percent placement rate in their area of expertise. 

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 900 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College ranks as one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report and one of the Best 366 Colleges by the Princeton Review. For more information, visit www.mills.edu.

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