Blum Promoted

to Deputy Position

Robert E. Blum, director of the Center for School and District Improvement at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, has been named deputy executive officer. In announcing the appointment, Chief Executive Officer Carol F. Thomas praised Blum's skills in building a strong research and development program. "He will provide the leadership we need to successfully compete in the critical years ahead," she said.

Blum, who holds an Ed.D. from Texas A&M University, said he was "honored and surprised" to be asked to assume the second-in-command role. "I know the learning curve will be steep, making the jump from a program focus to an institutional one. At a time when the resources for the Laboratory are up for grabs in some new and different ways, it will be challenging, but I'm very excited about it."

Most recently, Blum headed NWREL's efforts to help school systems implement smaller learning communities and other reforms. During the past 22 years, he led development of Onward to Excellence, a research-based improvement process that has been used by more than 2,000 schools. Two of NWREL's most widely used publications, Research You Can Use to Improve Results and Schooling Practices That Matter Most, were developed under Blum's leadership.

Prior to joining the staff at NWREL, Blum taught at the junior high, high school, and university levels. He was also a junior high school assistant principal and career education coordinator in Jefferson County (Colorado) public schools.

Blum succeeds Jerry Kirkpatrick, who retired at the end of March (see Jerry Kirkpatrick Retires).