Following is a press release from the Board of Ed about its newest member.

The New Haven Board of Education will gain a national expert in minority student achievement and instructional leadership when Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. swears in Dr. M. Ann Levett of the Yale Child Study Center at the Board of Education meeting, 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007.

Dr. M. Ann Levett, executive director of the School Development Program at Yale University, has agreed to serve on the Board of Education, replacing Patricia McCann-Vissepo, who has finished her term. Dr. Levett will serve through 2011. Her appointment brings the board to full strength at eight members. Her research interests include minority student achievement, leadership development and instructional leadership.

"I am delighted to be considered and honored to serve my community in this way," Dr. Levett said. "I hope to be able to contribute positively to insuring a good future for children in New Haven and surrounding areas."

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo said he is excited to gain such an experienced educator. "Dr. Levett has broad experience at the national level that will benefit New Haven greatly," he said. "Her experiences in everything from developing leadership capacity for principals to addressing student behavioral issues will bring great knowledge and insight to our work. We are very excited to have her aboard."

She also has served as a National Review Panelist for the National Blue Ribbon Schools program for more than 12 years and has been active in the community. A few of the organizations she has been affiliated with include Junior Achievement, Girl Scouts USA, Boy Scouts USE, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and many others. She has been a frequent national speakers and has served as an educational consultant for many school systems. Her most recent publication is a chapter entitled, "Performance Management: The Principal's First Priority," in "The Field Guide to Comer Schools in Action."

Dr. Levett has a Ed.D. in Educational Administration at the University of Georgia; a Master's in Special Education and Public Administration and a specialist degree in educational administration from Georgia Southern University; a B.S. in speech and language pathology from Armstrong State College; she has participated in leadership development programs at Harvard, Vanderbilt, University of Delaware, University of California, San Diego and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

This article was provided by: New Haven Independent