With over 30 years' experience as an educator in the District of Columbia Public Schools, Barbara Talbert Jackson, ASCD's new president, brings a distinctly urban perspective to the office.
Jackson, who directs Grants Administration for the D.C. schools, joined ASCD as a principal in the early 1970s and has served on ASCD's Executive Council and as president of the District of Columbia ASCD.
The nation's capital and the field of education have both played major roles in her life. A third-generation Washingtonian, Jackson is one of six children. Her father worked for the federal government and almost always held a second job to meet the family's needs. Her mother was a homemaker who had trained to be a teacher.
"Our family always valued education," she recalls, "and while we may not have had luxuries, there was always the opportunity to study and learn." The Jackson home was a hub of activity, where neighborhood children came to get help with their studies from Jackson's mother, "Miss Barbara."
"It was a rich life—not materially, but rich in the kinds of experiences that we were exposed to," she says. Sundays after church were often spent visiting the monuments and museums of Washington, before returning for evening services. Jackson still belongs to the same church she attended as a child.
Although she grew up in "the segregated Washington," her experiences in school were positive. "I had parents and teachers who didn't stress the negative," she says. "I strongly believe that I had some of the best teachers anywhere. In addition to providing strong academic training, they taught us about our heritage, and we had pride. Being academically prepared and having a positive self-image, I made the transition from segregated public schools to an integrated college with no difficulty."
Jackson decided to become a teacher when she was in 3rd grade and never wavered from that plan. She began her teaching career in 1959 in the D.C. Public Schools, later becoming an elementary school principal, a regional superintendent, and an interim vice superintendent in the District.
Of these jobs, she found being a regional superintendent the most rewarding. "It was the best of all worlds," she says. "Since we were out in the field, we interacted with students, teachers, parents, and administrators on a daily basis." She also takes pride in the three "schools of excellence" awards from the U.S. Department of Education she amassed during her five-year tenure as regional superintendent.
Since September 1991 Jackson has served as executive director for Grants Administration. "We write grant proposals," she explains. "We also provide system-wide professional development activities, asking each school to identify a person to become knowledgeable in the grants process." Besides informing others about what federal, corporate, and private-donor grants are available, Jackson tries to instill confidence in potential grant writers. "It is not as intimidating as one would think to develop a successful proposal, if one follows the RFP and knows what the grantor is looking for specifically," she says.
Jackson takes particular pride in one of her branch's successful ventures: capturing an Eisenhower State Curriculum Framework grant, which will provide systemic reform in mathematics, science, and technology for the D.C. schools. Only six of these grants were awarded nationally by the U.S. Department of Education.
An Unusual Juncture
As ASCD's new president, "I come in at an unusual juncture," Jackson notes. "The organization has a number of things on its plate: the Governance and Member Participation Panel, a new strategic plan in the works, and a new executive director. The agenda is already so full that there is no need for me to create a new one. I support the direction we are taking, and it will be my responsibility to guide ASCD in the timely implementation of that agenda."
One personal goal that Jackson hopes to pursue as president, however, is to raise educators' awareness of ASCD. "There are a lot of people in the education community who are not aware of this organization, even though it is larger than many others," she says. To increase recognition, ASCD could collaborate more with organizations that are better known among educators, she suggests.
Jackson also sees opportunities for ASCD to strengthen its relationship with urban educators. "We don't serve urban centers as well as we serve suburban centers," she maintains—not because ASCD's products and services lack relevance to inner-city schools, but because many urban districts lack the resources to take advantage of them.
Because urban districts are so often strapped for funds, ASCD should consider allowing them to pay for products with in-kind services, perhaps by serving as pilot sites, Jackson says. Such relationships would allow ASCD to model or pilot its products—including materials especially relevant to teachers of inner-city youth, such as learning styles resources, she believes. "If ASCD had a relationship with a particular urban district, we could get valuable feedback."
Moreover, ASCD could spark interest in its offerings among superintendents—both urban and non-urban—by allowing them to attend a conference or workshop free, she says. "They would go away charged," she predicts, and then encourage educators in their districts to participate in ASCD events, perhaps even earmarking funds to make that more feasible. "We need to find new ways to share the benefits of this organization with school districts," she emphasizes.
Jackson ran for ASCD president at her colleagues' urging, she says. Why did she consent to be a candidate?
"I really believe in what ASCD does," she says. "Besides being highly professional, ASCD people really want to make quality education available to all children. I buy into that. To head an organization that has that value at its core is a real honor."