District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Deputy Chief Academic Officer for Curriculum and Instruction Brian Pick received the Council of Great City Schools Curriculum Leadership Award last week at a meeting of 300 curriculum directors from all the major school districts across the country. The Council of Great City Schools represents the nation's largest urban public school systems.
“Brian exemplifies everything we want in a DCPS employee,” said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “He thinks every day about what is best for our students and then he works diligently and with steadfast commitment to help our students achieve at the highest levels. It’s no wonder that the Council also saw his unyielding passion for the success of the students the District and honored him with this award. This is a great achievement for Brian and also for the entire school system.”
The Curriculum Leadership Award is awarded each year “to an outstanding member who exemplifies leadership, innovation, commitment, and professionalism in raising the academic achievement of all students in an urban school district.”
In her letter of recommendation, Dr. Carey Wright, DCPS’ Chief Academic Officer, called Brian “a visionary leader, an instructional expert, an effective advocate, and an exceptional colleague” as well as “an emerging national leader in this work.”
Since 2008, Pick has worked in the Office of the Chief Academic Officer, where he has been at the heart of the academic reform efforts and played a key role in the development of DCPS’ Teaching and Learning Framework. Pick played a critical role in the development and implementation of the DCPS Academic Plan, which is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and includes a comprehensive early childhood curriculum; new standards for grades K-12 in English/Language Arts and Mathematics; Scope and Sequence and Unit Overviews; paced interim assessments; and additional support systems and resources for teachers.
Most recently, Pick was charged with leading a cross-functional effort to plan for the instructional shifts demanded by the Common Core and to take DCPS’ curriculum in a new direction.
“Although this remarkable body of work with the Common Core — remarkable both for its quality as well as the sheer volume of new resources — was the product of many smart people working extremely hard, Brian was at the center of it all. I am incredibly proud of him,” said Henderson.
Contact: Melissa Salmanowitz | 202-535-1096