The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is announcing that Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon has been unanimously elected to AVID Center's board of directors.
AVID, an acronym for Advancement via Individual Determination, is a college preparatory system serving largely minority and low-income students in more than 2,700 schools in 39 states and 15 countries today.
"Mr. Gordon brings a dynamic educational background," said AVID Board Chair Pete Garcia. "As we look to expand AVID both nationally and in California, his input coming from the perspective of a district and county superintendent will be a tremendous asset."
"I am honored to be chosen to serve on the AVID board," Gordon said. "There are so many students with college potential who lack the proper support. The AVID program emphasizes that obstacles can be overcome with hard work, individual determination, and support, and I truly believe that."
Prior to joining SCOE in July 2004, Gordon served as Superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District from 1995 to 2004. He worked for 17 years in the California State Department of Education (CDE), serving as Deputy State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Associate Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. He began his career as an elementary school teacher in the South Bronx, New York, in 1968.
Gordon holds a B.A. degree from Brandeis University and an Ed.M. and Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) in Educational Administration from Harvard University.
Superintendent Gordon also serves on the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the "Nation's Report Card") and was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education.
Founded in 1980 in San Diego, AVID is a system that helps students in the academic middle prepare for college. AVID works to increase college entrance numbers by improving the education system for students who are often left behind.
The San Diego-based AVID Center is the national headquarters for AVID. AVID Center provides school districts with the curriculum, methodologies, and training to prepare low-income and culturally diverse students for college eligibility and success.