Just in: An email that says, this is the panel for the parent engagement discussion at Education Nation.
Maybe it is a joke.
· Rep. George Miller
· Randi Weingarten
· Doreen Diaz, Desert Trails Parent Union (parent trigger takeover school in California)
· Michelle Rhee
· Joel Klein
· Vanessa Bush Ford, Black Star Project/The National PTA
2012 Education Nation Summit
(NBC News moderators and session timing may be adjusted due to breaking news)
Sunday, September 23
TBD Meet the Press at Education Nation TBD
8a – 10a Student Town Hall (Moderated by Melissa Harris-Perry)
msnbc special edition of Melissa Harris-Perry (broadcast from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
12p – 2p Teacher Town Hall (Moderated by Brian Williams)
LIVE msnbc special broadcast event
3:30p – 4:30p Parent Engagement/Advocacy Panel Discussion (Moderated by Alex Wagner)
6p – 7p Won’t Back Down
msnbc special event live from the red carpet
7p Won’t Back Down World Premiere Event
Red carpet film screening at the Ziegfeld Theatre followed by reception at the New York Public Library
Monday, September 24
7a – 7:45a Breakfast/Registration
7:45a – 8a Welcome by NBC News President Steve Capus
Remarks by NYPL President Anthony Marx
Remarks by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Introduction/Opening Video with Tom Brokaw
8a – 9:15a LIVE from Education Nation across the NBC News platforms
National Security Crisis? (Interview with Andrea Mitchell, Andrea Mitchell Reports)
The Council on Foreign Relations has declared that “the United States’ failure to educate its students leaves them unprepared to compete and threatens the country’s ability to thrive in a global economy and maintain its leadership role.” Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will explain how education impacts national security – and what we can do about it.
Interview
Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State
Innovation Challenge (Interview with Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CNBC)
The second year of Education Nation’s Innovation Challenge features new teams, bigger challenges and a more interactive format that gives Summit participants, NBC News viewers and the online/social media audience a voice in figuring out which technology is going to be the best tool for teachers in the classroom – and which young contestants are going to walk away with the resources to launch their business dreams.
Case Study #1 (Moderated by Savannah Guthrie, TODAY)
Logan Square Neighborhood Association
Topics: Poverty; parent/community engagement; wraparound services
Intro Interview (with Jenna Bush Hager)
Julián Castro, Mayor, San Antonio
Additional Panelists
Patricia Lopez, Parent Mentor, Logan Square Neighborhood Association
TBD
9:15a – 9:45a Case Study #2 (Moderated by Rehema Ellis)
Worcester Tech High School
Topics: College/career readiness; business engagement; turnaround
Panel
Dennis Van Roekel, NEA
Sheila Harrity, Principal, Worcester Tech High School
Additional TBD
9:45a – 10:15a Case Study #3 (Moderated by Kate Snow)
UTEACH
Topics: Quality teaching; teacher recruitment; STEM
Panel
Tom Luce, National Math and Science Initiative
Bernard Harris, first African-American to walk in space
UTEACH teacher TBD
10:15a – 10:35a Break
10:35a – 11:15a Changing Minds (Moderated by Brian Williams)
The latest research on character traits like grit, perseverance and self-control is changing what we say and how we teach. This session will include an interactive presentation and panel discussion.
Interactive Presentation (part 1)
Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania
Carol Dweck, Stanford University
Panel Discussion (part 2)
David Brooks, The New York Times
Paul Tough, author – How Children Succeed
Carol Dweck, Stanford University
Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania
11:15a – 11:35a Gaming (Moderated by Tamron Hall)
Game-based learning has the ability to fundamentally change education. Imagine a world where students poured their energy into a game that helped teach them math and they actually enjoyed it. At the Education Nation Summit, we’ll witness the power and potential of gaming to provide exciting tools for teachers to help personalize learning, engage students in fun new ways, and adapt in real-time to improve student learning. This session will include a fun demonstration and crowd-sourcing exercise in which Summit delegates will help create a new game for the nation’s classrooms.
Interactive Presentation
Zoran Popović, Director, Center for Game Science, U. of Washington
11:35a – 12p Case Study #4 (Interview with Tamron Hall)
Success for All / Wells Academy
Topic: Turnaround
Interview
Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
12p – 12:30p Case Study #5 (Moderated by Chelsea Clinton)
Central Falls
Topic: Early literacy
Panel
Case Study Participant TBD
Anthony Marx, NYPL
John Gomperts, President & CEO, America’s Promise Alliance
12:30p Break for Lunch
12:45p Lunch Begins
1:20p – 2p The Skills Gap (Moderated by Maria Bartiromo)
As a result of America’s skills gap, half of U.S. employers are reporting shortages for “mission critical” positions. With the connection between education and employment clearer than ever – and with the nation laser-focused on jobs and the economy – Education Nation will explore how stronger skills and higher levels of education can power America’s next great economic surge.
Panel
Laura D’Andrea Tyson, UC Berkeley
CT Gov. Dannel Malloy
Additional TBD
2p Break for Move to Bartos Forum
2:15p – 3:05p CEO Roundtable (Moderated by Tom Brokaw)
America’s business leaders are making historic investments in education, committing billions of dollars to local and national public/private partnerships to help ensure that all children receive a quality education. As NBC News focuses on education solutions at the 2012 Education Nation Summit, the CEO Roundtable will explore how top business visionaries are addressing our education challenges. How do we make sure our workforce is prepared for the future? How do we promote vibrant communities across the country? How can business, government, foundations and other stakeholders collaborate to achieve these ambitious goals? And what are the roles and responsibilities of the corporate sector?
Case Study #6
Mountain Home Career Academies
Topic: College/career readiness; career academies
3:05p – 3:20p Teachers’ Unions in the 21st Century (Interview with Savannah Guthrie)
AFT President Randi Weingarten is defining a vision for “solutions-driven unionism,” telling her members that it’s up to them to show “that we have the know-how and the determination to solve problems.” This Education Nation 1-on-1 interview will explore what that could mean for the future of education, what it looks like, where it’s working and where it’s not.
Interview
Randi Weingarten, President, AFT
3:20p – 3:50p Case Study #7 (Moderated by José Díaz-Balart)
Carpe Diem
Topics: Blended learning; technology; charter schools
Panel
Gov. Jeb Bush
Rick Ogston, CEO, Carpe Diem
Student TBD
3:50p – 4p Innovation Challenge Check-In
4p – 4:20p Break
4:20p – 4:55p Case Study #8 (Moderated by Natalie Morales)
Educare
Topics: Early childhood education; parent engagement
Panel
Dennis Walcott, Chancellor, NYC Department of Education
Diana Mendley Rauner, President, Ounce of Prevention Fund
Additional TBD
4:55p – 5:30p Case Study #9 (Moderated by Nancy Snyderman)
Cincinnati
Topic: Wraparound services
Panel
Cincinnati teacher TBD
Jeff Edmondson, Managing Director, Strive Network
Geoff Canada, Harlem Children’s Zone
Education Nation @ NYPL Dinner & Discussion
6:30p Arrivals & Reception (McGraw Rotunda)
7p Doors Open (Salomon Room)
7:10p Education Nation Goes to College (Moderated by Tom Brokaw)
With DECISION 2012 on the horizon, Education Nation convenes a special evening program on the relationship between high school graduation, college and career preparedness, and college access and completion – from the gap between what students learn in high school to their ability to afford college, enroll and earn a degree.
Opening Conversation
General Colin Powell, America’s Promise Alliance
Program Reconvenes
Panel Options
Eduardo Padrón, President, Miami Dade College
Additional TBD
Tuesday, September 25
7a – 7:45a Breakfast
8a – 8:10a Innovation Challenge Check-In
8:10a – 8:25a Skills Gap Interview (Moderated by Tom Brokaw)
8:25a – 8:55a Case Study #10 (Moderated by Alex Witt)
Geddes Elementary School
Topics: Child development; literacy; dual language; Hispanic students
Panel
Virginia Castro, Principal, Geddes Elementary School
Patricia Kuhl, University of Washington
Rick Noriega, AVANCE
8:55a – 9:25a The Common Core (Moderated by Rehema Ellis)
Forty-five states have adopted the Common Core, but what will it really mean for students, teachers and the nation’s competitiveness? This session starts with a live teacher demonstration showing the Common Core in action, leading to a panel discussion of what it will take to successfully implement the new standards across the country – and what we can learn from the experience so far.
Panel
Monica Sims, Teacher, Chicago Public Schools
David Coleman, Student Achievement Partners
John Deasy, Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
Lily Eskelsen, Vice President, NEA
9:25a – 10:10a Conclusion of the Innovation Challenge (Moderated by Brian Williams with Craig Melvin)
Judges
Craig Barrett, Retired Chairman, Intel
Kaya Henderson, Chancellor, Washington DC Public Schools
Additional TBD
10:10a – 10:25a Break
10:25a – 10:40a DECISION 2012 at Education Nation (PENDING)
In the biggest education event of the 2012 Presidential campaign, President Obama shares his vision for the nation’s education future and what it will take to prepare all Americans for the high-skill jobs of the 21st century.
10:40a – 11a All Ed Is Local (Moderated by David Gregory)
A Meet the Press-style session putting the presidential election in an education context and discussing the education and skills agenda following the election, with leading Governors, Mayors and other state and local perspectives.
11a – 11:45a DECISION 2012 at Education Nation (Moderated by Brian Williams)
In the biggest education event of the 2012 Presidential campaign, Governor Romney shares his vision for the nation’s education future and what it will take to prepare all Americans for the high-skill jobs of the 21st century.
11:45a – 12:35p Closing Session (Moderated by Brian Williams)
Joined by the nation’s current and former U.S. Secretaries of Education, NBC News looks back at the 2012 National Summit and announces plans for Education Nation Year-Round in 2013.
Secretaries of Education
Arne Duncan
Margaret Spellings
Rod Paige
Richard Riley
William Bennett
Scores dropped in Pennsylvania.
Many respected and some not-so-respected schools failed to make AYP.
School officials attributed the drop to budget cuts and anti-cheating measures.
The state Commissioner of Education said that deep budget cuts, loss of programs and personnel, had nothing to do with it.
The following comes from the regular posting by the Keystone State Education Coalition, a pro-public education group that is fighting for public education in Pennsylvania and against budget cuts and privatization.
You can find them here: http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org
COMMENTARY ON RELEASE OF 2012 PSSAs
Ten years ago when NCLB was passed we talked about unrealistic targets of 100% proficiency that would one day cause all public schools to be labeled “failing”. We are reaching that point. Lower Merion High School, one of the top high schools in the state, in one of the wealthiest school districts in the state, did not make AYP this year.
No matter that the AYP targets have increased.
No matter that funding has decreased by a billion dollars.
For public school teachers, the beatings will continue.
But this year Pennsylvania’s “failing public schools” narrative has been updated: the lazy, greedy, pension-bloodsucking, incompetent union hacks who don’t care about kids are now also cheaters.
More justification for more charter schools and EITC “scholarships” to private and religious schools that are never subjected to public scrutiny and don’t have to give these damn tests to their students. More justification for increasing the taxpayer funded bailout of our parochial schools while accepting their performance as a matter of faith. More justification for doing nothing to address conditions in our high poverty schools that are required to accept ALL students.
It would be useful for the Governor, the Secretary of Education or perhaps some of the over 100 members of the statewide press corps who receive these KEYSEC emails to go and actually spend a full day (or two) shadowing a teacher in one of our high poverty public schools. Not just a whistle-stop photo op, but a hands-on, roll up your sleeves opportunity to see first hand the challenges that our teachers face every day.
Last year we posted that of 12 PA cyber charters only 2 made AYP, while 8 were in corrective action status. This year only one cyber made AYP. Coincidentally, that school, the 21st Century Cyber Charter, was created and is governed by professional educators – the Chief School Administrators from the four suburban Philadelphia counties’ intermediate units and public school districts. (what a concept!) and has made AYP for 6 out of the past 7 years.
Agora Cyber, run by K12, Inc. continued their streak of never making AYP and is now in their 3rd year of Corrective Action 2 status. A federal lawsuit filed against K12, Inc. in Virginia alleges that:
· The company did not tell investors how much their business depends on “churn,” signing up new students when others drop out. The company also did not reveal that more than half of students at some K12 school did not return the following year.
· The company listed students as inactive rather than sending them back to their home district. That allowed K12 virtual schools to continue collecting that student’s funding.
· Some teachers reported having as many as 400 students.
In 2011 Ron Packard, K12 Inc.’s CEO received $5 million in compensation. Charles Zogby, PA’s Budget Secretary and Former Secretary of Education under Governor Ridge, served as K12’s Senior Vice President of Education and Policy prior to being recruited to serve in the Corbett Administration.
Chester Community Charter, the state’s largest brick and mortar charter did not make AYP this year after being investigated for cheating in prior years. The owner of the management company under contract to run the school is still fighting pending right-to-know requests in court. The charter school reform legislation passed by the State House last June included specific language that would exempt him from the state’s right to know laws. The Philadelphia Education Notebook reports that “Chester Community’s proficiency rates plummeted about 30 points in both reading and math, and the declines were fairly uniform across all grade levels and demographic subgroups. The school, with more than 2,500 students on two campuses, …. is operated for-profit by Gov. Corbett’s single largest campaign contributor, Vahan Gureghian. Its CEO sent a letter to parents blaming the sharp drops on severe state funding cutbacks that caused “sharp declines in services.”
PA Cyber, the state’s largest cyber charter, did not make AYP this year. It’s founder and group of related companies are under investigation by the FBI and IRS.
This is an usually thoughtful reprise of the issues and context of the strike.
It pulls together a lot of different threads:
Research about class size; conditions of teaching and learning in Chicago; the ongoing efforts to destroy unions; the poverty level among children in Chicago.
I recommend it.
This week, we will be subjected (or treated) to days of NBC’s celebration of corporate reform, which they call “Education Nation.”
Read this critique of the event.
They will hail the anti-union film of the year, as two years ago they hailed the anti-union propaganda film “Waiting for Superman.”
They will make a token effort to include teachers.
But the bottom line is that Education Nation is staged to persuade the American public that American education is in sorry shape because of bad teachers, that teachers must be judged by the test scores of their students (no matter that the research says it is wrong) and that our nation needs to privatize public education.
Condoleeza Rice will be there, explaining why our public schools are a “very grave threat to our national security.” She will explain why we need to provide more charters and vouchers so kids can escape public education. Please read my critique of the nonsensical report that she will talk about. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jun/07/do-our-public-schools-threaten-national-security/?pagination=false
An article in the Washington Post describes the high rates of suspension and expulsion at some of DC’s charter schools.
They say they do it to keep the other children safe.
Charter advocates like to say that public schools should learn from their innovative practices. Kicking kids out is not all that innovative. Public schools used to do it years ago; maybe there are still some who do it.
Where do the children go when they are expelled? Where are the schools that are required to accept them?
I thought that charter schools would teach everyone how to deal with problem children, not how to get rid of them. We already knew that routine.
Ms. Katie is one of the best education bloggers out there. She has deep experience working with children in need, she is passionate, and she writes from the heart.
In this post, she explains what the Chicago Teachers Union won for the children of Chicago.
And she makes clear why Rahm Emanuel should stop saying he is doing it “for the children,” for “our children.” He has not earned that right. Who is he doing “it” for? Why does he want to close another 100 public schools and turn them over to private managers? Read on.
I received a comment this morning from a reader who explained why she was voting for Romney. Here is her comment and my response.
I love reading your blog Ms. Ravitch, but I totally disagree with this post. This teacher will vote for Romney because I do not believe in the re-distribution of wealth. I do believe that if you can’t produce an ID at the voting booth, you should not be allowed to vote. I believe that taxing the rich heavily will mean less hiring. I actually believe in one flat tax for all. As a woman, I believe that if you can’t afford birth control, then don’t have sex. Additionally, if birth control for women is to be paid for by the government, then condoms should be paid for too for men. As a Catholic, I am offended that Obama would try to dictate the availability of birth control to Catholic employers for their employees–don’t take the job with the Catholic organization if you don’t like their terms. I believe it is unconstitutional for the government to require people to buy health insurance. I believe both political parties will make education worse in America with their devotion to standardized testing and love affair with charter schools, so I can’t take sides on education issues.
I grew up poor. Neither one of my parents graduated from high school because their fathers died when they were young and both had to go out to work. They struggled at every financial turn. We got one present each for Christmas and a new outfit for school for our birthdays. Yet, through hard work and perseverance, they put four kids through college–one teacher, one engineer, and two accountants. They never accepted food stamps or welfare even though they qualified for it. They were too proud and embarrassed to take it, so they dug in and took any jobs they could find. My father worked several low paying jobs seven days per week. My mother took any work she could find too. They knew education was the ticket out of poverty, so they were militant about our doing well in school. So I don’t want to hear about redistributing the wealth after you have worked hard for it. If you want to be charitable, it is your choice to make donations to the less fortunate, but I believe the government should not dictate it. Hence, this 25 year veteran teacher will be voting for Romney.
And here is my response:
I don’t question anyone’s decision to vote for the candidate of their choice.
What I do question, however, is the idea that taxing the rich means redistributing the wealth and killing jobs.
Our nation has nearly 25% of its families living in poverty. Many don’t have enough money to eat or pay rent or see a doctor.
At the other end of the spectrum are people who are obscenely rich. They have enough money to have several vacation homes with many servants. They own more luxury cars than there are adults in the family. They go to fabulous restaurants in big cities where a single meal costs nearly $1,000. They don’t think twice about buying a bottle of wine that costs $500.
Now maybe they are providing jobs for the people who build their private jets and yachts; for the servants in their homes; and for the waiters and chefs in their fancy restaurants.
But these are people who could pay higher taxes and it would have no impact whatever on their lifestyle. It would not stop them from creating jobs, if that is what they do. Some of those who work on Wall Street don’t employ anyone except the people who serve them. They don’t create jobs. They make money by speculation, by betting on which stock will go up and which will go down. It is a form of poker that creates no jobs.
I say, raise their taxes. During the Eisenhower years, when this country had a Republican president, taxes on the rich were far higher than they are today. They can afford to pay more. They should help to reduce the suffering of others, not by creating foundations but by shouldering their responsibility to pay a fair share of their income to pay the costs of essential public services, like education and healthcare.
I forgot the critical link, now inserted.
A lawsuit in Virginia, where the K12 for-profit virtual schools corporation is based, has brought out some dirty linen.
Among the allegations are that K12 relies upon churn to produce high revenues and that some teachers have a class size of 400 students.
Follow the links and read the document. It’s fascinating and alarming.
This is the scam that Jeb Bush and Bob Wise are promoting as 21st century learning. They call it personalization and customization. Their “Ten Elements” for digital learning urges states to deregulate these for-profit schools completely, to allow them free rein to recruit students and use uncertified teachers. They even say that these corporations should not be required to have an office in the state where they open a virtual school.
This is education reform.
Follow the money.
Diane Ravitch's blog 