DR. CHARLIE M. KNIGHT has been Superintendent for the Ravenswood School District in East Palo Alto since 1985. During that time, she has implemented programs designed to improve the quality of education for urban students, including the only public school program in the U.S. based on the Marva Collins philosophy. In addition, she has refurbished school facilities, worked to upgrade teachers’ salaries, and generated private foundation and corporate support, bringing the district from the brink of bankruptcy to a position of financial stability. She has worked with San Mateo County to open the Ravenswood Parent Child Intervention Program, which provides services for infants and toddlers suffering the effects of drugs taken by their mothers during pregnancy. She believes that early intervention will help reverse physical impairments, prevent out-of home placement by Child Protective Services, reduce the need for costly special education, and prepare these children for success in school.
