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LINDBERGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENT DR. JAMES A. SANDFORT
TO RECEIVE SLSO 2007 EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
St. Louis, MO – The 3rd annual “Educator of the Year” award, presented by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), has been awarded to Dr. James Sandfort, Superintendent of the Lindbergh School District. Dr. Sandfort will receive his award at the May 18 KFUO, Classic 99 concert at Powell Symphony Hall (718 North Grand Blvd.), 7:30 pm.
During his sixteen years as Superintendent of Schools for the Lindbergh School District, Dr. Sandfort has demonstrated strong support for the arts. His insistence upon high level instruction in the arts and his dedication of time and resources to attract and retain talented arts educators is further evidence of Dr. Sandfort’s leadership.
Lindbergh School District is home to award winning band and orchestra programs. The Lindbergh High School Marching Band was selected to participate in the prestigious 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA and Lindbergh’s Strolling Strings represented Missouri at the National Music Festival in Washington DC.
Those who have worked with Dr. Sandfort (including Dr. Douglas Turpin, the recipient of the 2006 Educator of the Year Award) admire Dr. Sandfort’s value of the arts, which sends the clear message that music and arts education are equal to all other subject areas. Music and arts are proven factors for student academic success and are part of a successful formula that has led Lindbergh School District to be recognized by the State of Missouri for Distinction in Performance for six consecutive years during Dr. Sandfort’s tenure.
The SLSO “Educator of the Year” award was established in 2004 to recognize area education leaders for their contributions to music education. Past winners include Ms. Darlynn Bosley, formerly principal of SLSO Adopt-a-School Dunbar Elementary, in 2005, and Dr. Douglas Turpin, Music Education Professor Emeritus from UMSL, in 2006.
The SLSO maintains a strong commitment to music education, as more than 35,000 children visit Powell Hall each year. Under the banner of its Community Partnership Program, the SLSO presents over 250 free events in the community, including schools. The SLSO’s education efforts include its Adopt-A-School program in five city and county elementary schools (including Lindbergh’s Long Elementary), participation in the E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative and an adult education series entitled “Symphony A to Z,” presented in partnership with Maryville University.
