Citation
S. Paul RevilleDoctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa)
Mr. President, I have the honor of presenting S. Paul Reville, a passionate and indefatigable champion of education reform in Worcester and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Mr. Reville has forged a distinguished record of leadership and accomplishment in pursuit of the democratic goal of educational opportunity and quality for all. He is the former education director of the Pew Forum on Standards-Based Reform, and the founding executive director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education. He served simultaneously as president of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy and director of the Education Policy and Management Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Perhaps most notably, as the commonwealth’s Secretary of Education, he was the primary architect of An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap, legislation designed to further the goals of the landmark Education Reform Act of 1993, which also bears his strong imprint.
His statewide endeavors have deep local roots. In Worcester, he was the founding director of the Alliance for Education, an educational improvement organization. He helped engineer a Proposition 2½ override to increase education funding in the city. He has been an important collaborator and critical friend in Clark University’s efforts as a partner in education reform.
Beyond his impressive achievements, Mr. Reville gives us an inspiring example of the engaged citizen — indeed, of what it means to live the Clark credo. Whether in the public square or the private sphere, he has spoken with a clear and measured voice, never flinching from the seemingly intractable challenges of the moment while holding firmly to a vision of an equitable educational system. He embodies the qualities needed to engage constructively the complex social issues of our time: great personal integrity and intellectual honesty; the courage of conviction; a deep sense of fairness; respect for evidence and, more deeply, for people; and perseverance in searching for common ground and the common good in the face of disagreement and conflict.
Mr. President, on behalf of the Trustees, faculty, students and staff of Clark University, I request that the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, be conferred on S. Paul Reville.