The ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative

By Mark Prince, Superintendent

Introduction

Mark Prince, a talented leader who has worked in the field of education for over 15 years, has been a principal at several public schools on the East Coast and currently serves as the assistant superintendent of Framingham Public Schools in Massachusetts. Complementing his role as superintendent, Mark Prince is active with several professional organizations, including the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

The ASCD

Since its founding in 1943, the ASCD has been an international leader in supporting student success by promoting excellence in teaching, learning, and professional development. With around 140,000 members from over 138 countries, the association develops and delivers a wide range of services that help educators develop professionally and gain educational leadership skills. One of the ASCD’s many programs is the Whole Child Initiative, which promotes long-term student success and development rather than narrow academic achievement.

Conclusion

The Whole Child Initiative brings families, policy makers, educators, and community members together to discuss education on the basis of creating sustainable knowledge and taking an approach to improve the school system so that students are healthy, engaged, challenged, supported, and safe within their school environments. Teaching about healthy lifestyles, maintaining an emotionally secure learning place, and providing personalized support are just some of the various principles that the ASCD strives to inject into conversations about education.