Author: Andie Freeman
Thirty years ago, visionary leaders launched A+ Schools of North Carolina after recognizing the powerful role the arts were playing in classrooms. Drawing from their diverse life experiences, these leaders came together to shape and grow a model of arts-integrated education—one that would evolve into the whole-school transformation approach that A+ Schools represents today.
Ralph Burgard
Ralph Burgard was a lifelong champion of community-based arts and cultural planning. As the first director of the Arts Councils of America (now Americans for the Arts), he believed deeply in the power of the arts to transform lives and worked to expand their role in the everyday experiences of Americans. Under his leadership, the organization united private funders, government agencies, educators, and donors to build vibrant cultural programs at the local level. In 1968, he wrote Arts in the City, a landmark publication that advocated the value of cultural institutions rooted in local history and traditions as catalysts for positive change both in small towns and large urban centers. A pioneer in cultural planning, Burgard founded the nation’s first cultural planning firm and earned national recognition for his leadership in arts education and community arts development. His concern for children in under-resourced communities—particularly their lack of access to arts education—was the inspiration for the creation of A+ Schools.
Burgard conceived the idea in 1988, and for several years, he researched ways to implement the program. A+ Schools was initiated in 1993 at the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, in Winston-Salem. Its vision was to provide interdisciplinary studies with consistent exposure to the arts.
Geraldine “Gerry” Howell
Geraldine “Gerry” Howell was another key figure in the foundation of A+ Schools. As executive director from 1994 to 2010, she led the sustainable growth of A+ as a model for arts-integrated education, championing creativity and whole-school reform. She started as an art educator in Virginia public schools and later earned a master’s degree in education counseling. This path led her to become the administrative program coordinator for the Dropout Prevention Program in Greensboro Public Schools, where she supported at-risk students. As a visual artist, she owned an architectural art glass business, where she completed notable projects such as the stained-glass dome in Greensboro’s Lincoln National building. Her combined experience in art education, counseling, dropout prevention, and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels positioned her well to lead A+ Schools in its early years. As Howell once said, “Our view is the arts honor and support the needs of the whole child and they support the natural ways that children learn.”
Vincent Marron
Vincent Marron played a foundational role in bringing the A+ Schools program to life. As director of the program at the Kenan Institute for the Arts, he championed the arts as essential to education. Born in England, he studied at Oxford and later completed theological studies in Switzerland, where he was ordained a priest. He moved to the United States in 1965, where he first worked at a boys’ school in St. Louis, Missouri. After leaving the priesthood, he became development director for the Theatre Development Fund, in New York City. After moving to Asheville, he became the chief executive officer and director of Pack Place, where he oversaw the development of three museums and a theater. He later joined the Kenan Institute for the Arts, where he co-founded the A+ Schools program, in 1995. Marron’s belief in the power of the arts to transform education was shaped by his extensive background in theater and arts management, recognizing the arts as essential tools for learning across the curriculum.
Jeanne Butler
Jeanne Butler, one of the founding voices of A+ Schools, is recognized as the program’s curriculum architect. She also established the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and served as its executive director for 10 years. Her experience both in the nonprofit and private sectors, where she developed and invested resources in education, the arts, and philanthropy, made her an essential part of the A+ Schools founding team. Her leadership helped shape the program’s approach to curriculum, teacher development, and student engagement.
Tom Kenan
Tom Kenan, a founder of UNCSA and chairman of the Thomas S. Kenan Foundation, has played a historic role in philanthropy and advocacy for the arts in North Carolina. His support for A+ Schools has been instrumental in the program’s growth over the past 30 years, and his vision helped shape the program into a national model for arts-integrated education. Along with his support for A+ Schools, he has been actively engaged with many arts and culture organizations, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Commission, and Old Salem Museums and Gardens.
As we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of A+ Schools, we remember the leaders who saw the need for whole-school transformation and championed the power of arts integration. Their commitment laid the foundation for our success, and their influence inspires our work today.