U.S. Department of Education to conduct discussion at Stritch regarding current state of education
Session to be videotaped, viewed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
posted Sept. 8, 2011
Cardinal Stritch University will host a roundtable discussion on the state of education in the United States Friday, Sept. 9 in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education's “Education and the Economy” Back to School Bus Tour.
The tour will take Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and senior Department of Education staff to more than 50 events throughout the Midwest. In the morning, Secretary Duncan will visit the Milwaukee School of Career and Technical Education, which was awarded a federal School Improvement Grant in 2010.
In the afternoon, U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows Claire Jellinek and Leah Lechleiter-Luke will lead a roundtable discussion at Stritch’s City Center, 1037 W. McKinley Ave. in Milwaukee.
Approximately 15 teachers, teacher mentors, principals, superintendents, and Stritch faculty will take part as panelists at the event, which will be attended by about 40 people from the Milwaukee educational community. The purpose of the discussion is for the teaching fellows to meet with and listen to educators about the current state of education. Although Secretary Duncan will not attend, the discussion will be videotaped and later viewed by Duncan.
The three guiding questions to be asked during the roundtable are:
- What keeps you up at night regarding education?
- What are you most proud of in regard to your work or your school’s work?
- If you had five minutes with Secretary Duncan, what would you want to ask or tell him?
“Cardinal Stritch University is honored and thrilled to be hosting this important conversation,” said Stritch President Dr. James Loftus. “Through our College of Education and Leadership and the Southeastern Wisconsin New Teacher Project, the University has developed a reputation for creating innovative programmatic responses to the dynamics facing K-12 schools. I am excited that the University can now contribute to this national conversation about the country’s educational state.”
The event is hosted by Stritch’s Southeastern Wisconsin New Teacher Project (SEWNTP) -- a program that offers classes and trainings supporting mentors of new teachers and the new teachers themselves in southeastern Wisconsin school districts. SEWNTP is sponsored by Stritch and the New Teacher Center, a national organization dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders.
“Because teachers are the single most important school-based determinant of student success, SEWNTP works to accelerate teacher effectiveness so that new teachers quickly become as skillful as experienced teachers,” said Rhonda Dubin, director of SEWNTP. “Our commitment represents one of the greatest opportunities for change in education today.”
Please note: Attendance is by invitation only.