Enclosed and attached is the Press Release issued to the media today. Please forward it to as many contacts as possible to help get the word out as soon as possible. Thanks Media Contact: Chris Fanning Public Relations Associate chrisf@xxxxxxx 585-473-2590 ext 105 *THE CRISIS IN OUR SCHOOLS: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION?* *Announcing **A Community Read of Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error* *&* *A Community-Wide Discussion of Issues in Public Education in our Community* *Dates of Program: September 2014 – December 2014* *Rochester, NY August, 22* – Writers & Books is pleased to announce an important community wide program, *THE CRISIS IN OUR SCHOOLS: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION?*, which will take place this fall in settings throughout our community. Public education in our community and the nation faces enormous challenges. Through a community read of *Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error*, we intend to initiate discussion, involving all sides of the political and educational spectrum, about those challenges, and potential solutions. Diane Ravitch, former Assistant Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush, will kick off a series of forums with a keynote presentation on September 10th. Our aim is to use the forums to both inform a wide spectrum of our community about current educational issues and motivate them to become more involved in shaping the future of public education in the greater Rochester area. *When & Where: Community Discussion Forum Events:* · *A Discussion with Diane Ravitch: Appearing via Skype* — 7 p.m., September 10, East High School Auditorium · *The Common Core: Is it Good for Public Schools: A Moot Court Trial* — 7 p.m., September 23, East High School Forum Room · *Teacher Tenure: Good or Bad for Education?* — 7 p.m., October 8, RCSD Board of Education Office. *Sponsored by RCSD Board of Education* · *How do US Schools and Students Stack up Against Nations around the world?* —7 p.m., October 22, Gates Library · *Why Would Anybody Want to be a Teacher Today?* — 7 p.m., November 5, Nazareth College Otto Shultz Forum · *Would a Metropolitan School District be Good for Monroe County*— 7 p.m., November 19, location t.b.d. · *What is the Role of the Community in Providing Early Childhood Learning?* — 2 p.m., November 23, Kate Gleason Auditorium, Central Library. · *What Makes a Good School?* — 7 p.m., December 3, Eisenhart Auditorium, RMSC *Intended Audience**:* These important community discussions are open to the public and are intended to attract the widest possible audience to the forums, including: parents, students, teachers, administrators, business leaders, elected officials, the media, and anyone else with an interest in the future of our schools. *About Diane Ravitch: * Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at New York University and a historian of education. From 1991 to 1993, she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. She was responsible for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education. As Assistant Secretary, she led the federal effort to promote the creation of voluntary state and national academic standards. From 1997 to 2004, she was a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federal testing program. She was appointed by the Clinton administration’s Secretary of Education Richard Riley in 1997 and reappointed by him in 2001. From 1995 until 2005, she held the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution and edited *Brookings Papers on Education Policy*. Before entering government service, she was Adjunct Professor of History and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. *Community Partners:* *The Crisis in our Schools *community partners: Center for Justice in Education; Nazareth College School of Education; Roberts Wesleyan College Department of Teacher Education; The Rochester Area Community Foundation; The Rochester City School District Board of Education; The Rochester Public Library; The Rochester Teacher's Union; The Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester; Writers & Books More information on specified event dates to follow. For more details on the Crisis in Our Schools program, contact Lindsey Buck at lindseyb@xxxxxxx ###
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