The Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges

The commission's charge

 • Define and reaffirm the important role writing plays in student success in school, college and life

 • Make recommendations so that students, their families, schools and colleges can work individually and together to improve the quality of writing in this country.

Commission members

C. Peter Magrath, chair; president, National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges, former president of the University of Missouri, the University of Minnesota and the State University of New York at Binghamton

Arlene Ackerman, vice chair; superintendent of schools, San Francisco Unified School District

Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Parting the Waters"

Clinton Bristow Jr., president, Alcorn State University

Larry R. Faulkner, president, University of Texas at Austin

Carlos A. Garcia, superintendent of schools, Clark County School, Nevada

E. Gordon Gee, chancellor, Vanderbilt University

M.R.C. Greenwood, chancellor, University of California-Santa Cruz

Karen A. Holbrook, provost, University of Georgia, president-elect, Ohio State University

Claire W. Jackson, superintendent of schools, Sharon, Mass.

Diana Lam, superintendent of schools, Providence, R.I.

Barry Mills, president, Bowdoin College

Linda Bunnell Shade, chancellor and professor emerita, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, past senior vice president, the College Board

David E. Shulenburger, executive vice chancellor and provost, University of Kansas

Frank L. Till, superintendent of schools, School Board of Broward County, Fla.

Ronald A. Williams, president, Prince George's Community College

Ex-officio members

Gene A. Budig, former chancellor and professor emeritus, University of Kansas, and former president and professor, West Virginia University

Gaston Caperton, president, the College Board

Advisory panel members

Richard Sterling, chair; executive director, National Writing Project

Jacqueline Jones Royster, professor of English and senior associate dean of faculty and research, Ohio State University College of Humanities

Sarah Hudelson, associate dean for academic programs and personnel, Arizona State University College of Education

David M. Bloome, professor of education, Department of Teaching and Learning, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, president-elect of the National Council of Teachers of English