Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) Superintendent, Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., received the Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of Academic Palms) on June 24, at the residence of the French Ambassador.

"I am deeply honored to have received this award," said Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., Superintendent of Schools. "Our district has had the opportunity to have international dialog on education reform with France for the past year, and I look forward to our continued partnership." 

This award is an Order of Chivalry in France for academics and cultural and educational figures. This decoration was originally founded by Emperor Napoleon to honour eminent members of the University of Paris, and established as an order on October 4, 1955 by President René Coty. 

PGCPS signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding that provides opportunities for an ongoing exchange of ideas with educators in France. The Lyon school district in France shares similar goals and challenges with PGCPS in transforming education to produce high student achievement.

The partnership has offered great insight on student progress, student success in a global marketplace, how best to expand teacher capacity and effectiveness, and most importantly, collaboration between the two school districts. 

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