Ypsilanti, MI, Nov. 5, 2019 — HighScope Educational Research Foundation recently announced that Cheryl Polk, PhD, resigned her position as president, effective Dec. 4, 2019. Following her departure, Dr. Polk will return to California to be with family.
During Dr. Polk’s tenure, HighScope’s research agenda was anchored to its foundation in the Perry Preschool Project and brought into the 21st Century through its partnership with the Heckman Institute and the new intergenerational studies. These and other practical inquiries have revealed what makes children succeed today and throughout their lives.
“Over the last five years, the HighScope footprint has continued to increase across the states through our new partnerships in San Antonio and Seattle, across the globe in our International Institutes, and through the expansion of our annual conference in Detroit that has served several thousand early educators and partners through the years,” said chair Jana Martella on behalf of the HighScope board. “Also, under Cheryl’s leadership, the groundwork has been laid to expand the developmental preschool on the HighScope campus that will continue to grow in size and scope into 2030.” Read the board’s full letter here.
The HighScope staff and board remain committed to the mission that every child deserves a high-quality, equitable early education. For the short-term, the organization will be led by the executive team with guidance from the board of directors. An interim CEO will be identified shortly, and a search process for a new president will be conducted in 2020.