FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 6, 2000
Number: nr 00-01
Contact: Nan Powers Varoga, 713-658-1881, ext. 114
nvaroga@houstonaplus.org
Houston A+ Challenge ADDS DIRECTOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Louise F. Deretchin, Ph.D., has joined the staff of the Houston A+ Challenge as Director of Higher Education, effective January 3.
Dr. Deretchin comes to Houston A+ after 10 years at Baylor College of Medicine, most recently as Medical Informatics Education Director and Research Associate. At Baylor, Dr. Deretchin made major improvements in the way the school teaches its medical students.
"We are quite pleased Louise has chosen to join us and look forward to her energy and experience as we enter our third year of work to reform public schools in the metropolitan Houston area," said Linda Clarke, Executive Director of the Houston A+ Challenge.
At the Challenge, Dr. Deretchin will direct the organization's higher education initiative under Phase II of its work in school districts in Alief, Aldine, Houston, Humble, North Forest and Spring Branch.
Under the initiative, the Houston A+ Challenge is forming partnerships with local universities to prepare students majoring in education to meet the challenges of teaching in the 21st century.
Dr. Deretchin has taught in K-12 public schools in New York, California and Minnesota and is an adjunct professor of Educational Psychology at University of St. Thomas. She has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from University of Houston, a Master of Science degree in Educational Technology from State University at Albany and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Brooklyn College.
The Houston A+ Challenge is a $60 million, not-for-profit public, private partnership directing the largest single sum of private money ever dedicated to public school reform in the Greater Houston area. The Challenge funds school programs and leadership institutes to promote higher academic achievement by all students.
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