Principal Jill Levine takes notes as she observes a teacher in class in this file photo from Normal Park Lower School.Normal Park Museum Magnet Principal Jill Levine is among three principals selected for the U.S. Department of Education's first Principal Ambassador Fellows.
Levine will serve through August 2014 along with Sharif El-Mekki, of Philadelphia, Pa., and Rachel Skerritt, of Washington, D.C. They were among some 450 applicants for the program, which is designed to lend a school principal's perspective to federal education policy.
"Each year I have the opportunity to visit schools and meet with leaders across the country who are committed to improving educational outcomes for our nation's students," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a news release. "Principals are a linchpin in the effort to improve student success and raise achievement at any scale, and I look forward to working with the 2013 Principal Ambassador Fellows to continue a thoughtful conversation on the best ways to sustain and support school leaders for the long haul. Their firsthand knowledge of the challenges principals face will help shape policy and programs across the country to better prepare our nation's children for college and career."