New Awards Program to Honor Education Leaders
Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards honor U.S. policymakers, educators, community leaders and administrators who demonstrate vision, innovation, action and transformation in K-12 education, in schools and in other informal learning settings such as after-school programs.

Here is what the judges said about Frank Baker, one of the finalists in 2005:

Frank Baker
Columbia, SC

Frank Baker is being recognized in the Media Literacy award category for expanding the nation's knowledge base on media literacy, including creation of the Media Literacy Clearinghouse, a website of resources for educators.

Baker has also assembled and disseminated a vast collection of information about media literacy and has published a study of media literacy content in the teaching standards for all 50 states, which helped educators justify the need for more professional development and resources to help teach the subject.

Because he believes media literacy is the "most important life skill of the 21st Century," Baker is a presence wherever it is the topic: at conferences, on listservs, in training workshops for teachers, in curriculum conferences, and on the Web.