Curtis Schnorr is director of elementary schools in Carroll County, West-
minster, Maryland. Previously, he was a school principal for 22 years. He
spent seven years as principal at Friendship Valley Elementary School
helping to create a “home for the mind.” He has been a presenter at state
and national conferences on incorporating the Habits of Mind into a
school culture. Originally selected as principal for Friendship Valley,
Schnorr has since had the opportunity to incorporate the Habits of Mind
in his role as director of elementary schools. Schnorr can be reached at
517 Washington Rd., Westminster, MD 21157; phone: 410-876-1807;
e-mail: [email protected].
Steve Seidelis the Bauman and Bryant Lecturer in Arts in Education and
directs the Arts in Education Program and Project Zero at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education. At Project Zero, Seidel has been princi-
pal investigator for projects that have studied learning in the arts, the close
examination of student work, reflective practices in schools, and children
as individual and group learners. Before becoming a researcher, Seidel
taught high school theater and language arts for 17 years. He has also
worked as a professional actor and stage director. He may be reached at
[email protected].
Bertie Simmonsis the principal of E.L. Furr High School, an inner-city
school in Houston, Texas. She has had a long career in public education
as an elementary and secondary teacher, as well as an elementary and
high school principal. She has held numerous positions in central admin-
istration, including the role of teaching strategist, which required that she
work with inner-city schools in the Houston Independent School District
to facilitate desegregation. She served as superintendent of the east region
of the district, assistant superintendent of the south region, and super-
intendent of District VIII. She retired in 1995 as the assistant superin-
tendent of campus management, a position that provided her with an
opportunity to work with all schools in the district. After five years of work-
ing as an educational consultant, Simmons was called upon to assume the
role of principal at Furr, a troubled school with serious gang activity and
little focus on academics. She has worked to create a student-centered
environment where teachers and students strive for excellence and where
422 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind