The Foundation for Excellence in Education, the privatization/testing advocacy group founded by Jeb Bush, will hold its national summit in Denver on October 22-23.
Since Jeb stepped down to run for President, Condi Rice is the new leader. You may recall that she became an education expert in 2012 when she led a task force with Joel Klein that declared that American public schools are so dreadful that they are a threat to national security. The cure, they said, was charters, vouchers, and the Common Core.
Please note that if you are a blogger, you must submit samples of your work to prove you love corporate reform: charters, vouchers, school closings, high-stakes testing, merit pay, etc., or you will not be admitted.
The most newsworthy portion of the summit will be the session on “proven strategies” to improve student achievement. Since none of the corporate reform strategies have any evidence to support them, this will be a challenge for those hoping for proof, not ideological blather.
The latest press release:
From: “Foundation for Excellence in Education”
To: gorlewsj@newpaltz.edu
Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2015 10:21:15 AM
Subject: MEDIA ADVISORY: 2015 National Summit on Education Reform hosted by Dr. Condoleezza Rice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 8, 2015 Contact: Press Office
850-391-4090
PressShop@excelined.org
MEDIA ADVISORY: 2015 National Summit on Education Reform hosted by Dr. Condoleezza Rice
On October 22-23, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, 66th U.S. Secretary of State and board chair of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) will host the organization’s eighth annual National Summit on Education Reform. Media registration is now open for media wishing to cover the two-day event. Credentials must be requested in advance of the start of the summit.
The nation’s premier annual education forum immerses policymakers in two days of in-depth discussions on proven and innovative strategies to improve student achievement.
The following event is OPEN PRESS:
2015 National Summit on Education Reform
Presented by the Foundation for Excellence in Education
October 22-23, 2015
Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
650 15th Street
Denver, CO 80202
Credentialing:
All members of the media, including bloggers, who plan to cover the Summit must be credentialed by the Foundation for Excellence in Education. All media must apply for advance credentials online via the Media Registration Form by Monday October 19 COB. Advance registration is strongly encouraged as space is limited and onsite registration may be subject to delays.
To apply for media credentials, please complete the Media Registration Form.
As the Foundation is sensitive to the need to make travel plans, notification of credential approval will be made via email within one week of receiving the requested information.
Specific credentialing requirements exist for freelance writers and bloggers. In addition to completing the online form, as soon as possible please email the following information to
PressShop@ExcelinEd.org:
Freelance Writers: Freelance writers wishing to cover the Summit must submit a letter of assignment or letter of intent from the media outlet being represented.
Bloggers: Bloggers wishing to receive credentials must have regular posts about education and policy issues, and other related news, and have a significant following. Proof of coverage may be provided in the following form: a URL to your site’s main page as well as a link to a bylined article posted within the last few months.
Check-In:
For planning purposes, media check-in will open on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 at 7:00 a.m. and continue throughout the day, both days of the conference.
Upon check-in at the event, approved media will be asked to present a current year news media credential in conjunction with a government-issued photo ID, such as a valid state driver’s license or passport. If a current year news media credential is not available, a valid business card in conjunction with a government-issued photo ID, such as a valid state driver’s license or passport, may be accepted.
Previous accreditation to Foundation for Excellence in Education events does not guarantee the issuance of media or blogger credentials for the 2015 National Summit on Education Reform.
The Foundation for Excellence in Education, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to withhold press credentials from members of the news media, limit the number of credentials assigned to any news organization and revoke credentials from members of the news media before or during the event for any reason. Acceptance of press credentials constitutes agreement by the bearer and his/her organization to abide by any terms set forth by the Foundation for Excellence in Education.
Access:
As in years past, media credentials must be worn at all times in order to gain access to designated press areas to cover the conference sessions.
The Media Filing center will be available to all credentialed media on a first come, first serve basis, during operating hours for the entirety of the two-day Summit. Other designated press areas will be accessible based on Summit agenda.
Coverage:
Members of the media are welcome to cover the conference, including keynote, general and strategy sessions from designated press areas. Participation in Q&A segments is reserved for registered attendees of the event.
A live feed of the general and keynote sessions will be available in the Media Filing Center. Additionally, there will be closed-circuit televisions and mult boxes for access to clean audio feeds of the general and keynote sessions.
Technical Details:
Complimentary internet access will be provided in the Media Filing Center and ballroom. Please note that this network will be available to all members of the media, which may cause a high volume of traffic at times.
A live webcast of the general and keynote sessions will also be available. Details are forthcoming. News organizations may live stream the Summit in its entirety, upload video content to websites and/or archive footage.
Agenda & Speakers:
The week of the Summit, a full itinerary of the conference events, as well as technical and logistical specifications for media, will be distributed to registered and confirmed media outlets and bloggers.
In the meantime, a complete list of speakers featured during the 2015 summit and a full agenda for the two-day event may be found at ExcelinEd.org/National-Summit/2015-Agenda.
Confirmed media will receive access to the official #EIE15 app accessible via smartphone or tablet, offering real-time updates on speakers, the agenda and strategy sessions.
Join the Conversation:
Follow #EIE15 and @ExcelinEd on Twitter for the latest news and updates regarding the 2015 Summit.
Special Requests:
Once approved, credentialed media may alert us of any special coverage needs or requests, including but not limited to the following topics, and we will do our best to accommodate:
If you would like to pre-arrange an interview with one of the speakers in advance of or during the Summit;
If you need to request private interview space for a specific and consolidated time period;
If you are interested in covering the event live, plan to park a satellite truck onsite and/or have questions regarding cable runs; and
If you are a network or cable and wish to attend the technical walk-through;
In some cases, specific deadlines apply. Space is limited.
Thank you for your interest in covering the Foundation for Excellence in Education’s eighth annual National Summit on Education Reform. We hope to see you in Denver.
###
For more information visit http://www.ExcelinEd.org.
The Foundation for Excellence in Education is transforming education for the 21st century economy by working with lawmakers, policymakers, educators and parents to advance education reform across America. ExcelinEd is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In 2014, ExcelinEd received more than 85 percent of its operating revenue from private family foundations. Learn more at ExcelinEd.org.
CONTACT US
P.O. Box 10691
Tallahassee, Florida
32302-2691
850-391-4090
info@excelined.org
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I find the title interesting, especially the part about, “Critics Are Not Welcome”
That’s the same feeling I get when I happen to disagree with a position taken… 😦
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The difference is, you’re welcome to state your opinion and be part of this forum. No one says we have to agree with you, but we do let you in the door. In fact, if you’d like to join us at the NPE conference in North Carolina in April, you’d be welcome to come.
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If your ideas are solid, then you shouldn’t be worried. If your ideas are not solid, then people will call you on them. If you can successfully rebut the arguments with facts, then it’s no problem. You shouldn’t be afraid to debate in here. We’re (mostly) good guys. But don’t come at us with arguments that aren’t solid. A lot of us have vast experience in what works and what doesn’t, and we see from day to day, whether as teachers or parents, what “reform” is doing to our children and our schools.
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Since Congress refuses to honor the right of the American people to have Congressional hearings on the corruption of school privatization and the associated political payoffs from wealthy oligarchs, I hope progressive coalitions will mount an offense, by creating a parallel tribunal for the hearings. The 90% of Americans, ignored by politicians,
deserve it. (Center for American Progress need not apply for coalition inclusion.)
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I call that hedging your bets.
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We may not be able to get in, but that doesn’t mean we can’t post up outside…
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Talk about carefully vetting each and every individual attempting to attend, geez. Sounds like they need to omit “…educators and parents” out of the following mission statement:
“The Foundation for Excellence in Education is transforming education for the 21st century economy by working with lawmakers, policymakers, educators and parents to advance education reform across America. ExcelinEd is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.”
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American public schools areCondi Rice is so dreadful thatthey areshe is a threat to national security.Fixed.
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Ivana Trump—somebody people are going to like—-held a fund raiser for a democrat…..Cory Booker…..not a good sign. Still…..has anyone asked Trump about all the useless keerap Obama has done with education? Does he parrot the media line that charters and vouchers are our best bet?
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never mind….hopeless…. http://ontheissues.org/Celeb/Donald_Trump_School_Choice.htm
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Ivanka…not Ivana.
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Couldn’t have picked a better site to showcase the lies. Denver school board voted last night to give away two more traditional buildings to charters for co-locations. The six paid for members ignored community once again. Slowly, slowly Denver’s remaining middle and high schools will become charters, most probably DSSTs which have approval for 8 more schools. I do wonder what will happen to the roughly 40% of high school students who start as freshmen and don’t make it to graduation. Oh yeah. They will fill our real public schools, be told they are failures and failing, counseled into alternative high schools while the continuation of privatizing continues. I’ve heard too many stories of the dirty tricks being played on students and teachers to think random selection is really taking place.
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MA own Commissioner Mitchell Chester will be there to speak. Yeah-he has NO conflicts of interest.
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Ugh! Likely auditioning for a new job, as he’s at the point of being purged by the gov’s troop of Pioneers.
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IF I remember history correctly, I believe the tactics being used by the Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) are the same ones used by the Nazis leading up to World War II. Do not allow anyone who does not agree with the party line to attend the conference and only allow the media in who will agree with the party line.
Of course, this is the same tactics used by American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) when they hold all their meetings/conferences behind closed doors.
Real transparency is not the hallmark of these two organizations.
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Credentialing:
Hissing in the pit will not be tolerated. The “echo chamber” shall not be disrupted.
The “tribe” will continue to talk to themselves, so as to reinforce their view of the
situation. Auditions will be conducted to determine WHO is fit to sing to the choir.
Our core beliefs begin and end with “credentialing”. We believe that “some” humans
are better than “others”. Credentialing is the measure, to assess this difference.
Credentialing fuels visions of personal merit and excellence, tied to a “sense” of
justice. A “sense” of justice remains entangled to a conviction of personal merit
and excellence. If you “see” something you don’t expect to see, default to the
handy “deductive” method, that favors “internal” coherence over social relevance
or results.
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The acronym for the Foundation for Excellence in Education (sic) is FEE. Interesting how they want to call it ExcelinEd.
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It is so VERY reassuring that this organization still believes in “freedom of speech”!!!!
LOL
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If their intentions are pure, what should they be afraid of? In my mind, that shows that there intentions are NOT pure and they are simply in it for the money. But we already know that, don’t we?
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Interesting logo for the conference: The peel of an apple turns into a fighter jet. The symbolism is unintended, I’m sure. 😉
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Really, Condi? Public schools are a threat to our national security? Thr Great Lie! Your reform plan poisons the minds of youth. Critical thinking that doesn’t include questioning authority, brainwashing, and data sharing to profile FOR military. Hooray for the EU! No more Safe Harbor agreements with American internet companies. Closed loopholes in data collection of its citizens.
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So who will be reporting on this from our side?
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