Self Portrait
Peggy Aw, Grade 8
CEI-PEA established the Colman Genn Lecture Series to honor the work and achievements of CEI-PEA Senior Fellow Colman Genn. The annual lecture takes place in New York City and features individuals who are making significant contributions to the advancement of public education for urban school children. Through the lecture series, the Board and staff of CEI-PEA seek to inform and enrich debate surrounding the greatest issue of our day--public education--and recognize individuals whose ideas or accomplishments have improved the lives of public school children.
Cole Genn spent his career in the New York City public school system as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He helped establish the first public school choice system in East Harlem where he created three successful alternative schools, including the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. The first graduating class from Manhattan Center (1986) made the front-page of The New York Times when every student was graduated and went on to college. Cole again made headlines in 1989 when, as Superintendent of Community School District 27, he was profiled on 60 Minutes for his courageous exposure of corrupt school board members.
For the last 13 years of his life, Cole was a Senior Fellow at CEI-PEA. He played a major role in making the organization a leader in public school reform. While at CEI-PEA, Cole helped start such successful New York City schools as the Wildcat Academy, The Young Women's Leadership School, and KIPP Academy. He also helped spread the small schools movement to Chicago, Baltimore, and Newark, as well as Santiago, Chile and Israel.
Cole believed in the power of debate and dialogue to transform the minds and deeds of people. The Colman Genn Lecture carries forward this tradition by providing a forum for debate and dialogue around critical issues and ideas in public education.
For more information or to support the Colman Genn Lecture, please contact Sy Fliegel.
Joel I. Klein at Colman Genn
Lecture Series - Chancellor Klein speaks about the state of urban education and plans for NYC's school system.
Edited transcript of Chancellor Joel I. Klein's remarks at the inaugural Colman Genn Lecture Series.