Where Are the Parents in Education Nation?
Ask @leoniehaimsonNYC Public School Parents |
With day one of the 2013 Education Nation Summit in the books, and day two offering up a terrific array of speakers, one has to be impressed. Throughout yesterday's program, participants heard from many of the nation's leading education voices — superintendents, national organization heads, entrepreneurs, innovators, and all-around visionaries.
Spotlights were placed on new initiatives designed to spark new thinking. There was even a constant reminder of an ongoing student competition, seeking to signal the best of the best in young education innovation.
Today promises tales from the celebrity sector of education, as names such as Tony Bennett (the I Left My Heart in San Francisco singer, not the I Left My Post in Florida state supe) and Goldie Hawn slated to address the audience.
In watching the 1 percent of the education community, if you will, though, Eduflack was left with a lingering question. Where were the parents? Where were the voices of those caregivers left to decide which school provides the greatest opportunity for their kids? Where were the mothers worried about school safety or the fathers concerned about their son dropping out without employment opportunities? Where were the parents in the academical village?
As a lead up to the two-day summit, NBC now offers two town halls to address some of these stakeholder issues. Education Nation first offered up a summit with students, which is always an eye-opening and interesting development. It also provided a town hall for teachers, letting educators discuss many of struggles and concerns they are facing each day in the classroom.
One can argue that these two voices also needed to be front and center during the two-summit itself. No, I'm not talking the celebrity teacher who is trying to make a name for himself with his latest