ESEA at 50: AFT, Shanker Institute Hold ESEA Panel with Civil Rights Leaders | Shanker Institute

ESEA at 50: The Federal Government and Equity in American Education | Shanker Institute:

AFT, Shanker Institute Hold ESEA Panel with Civil Rights Leaders Big Education Ape: Twitter Call to Action! Tweet your trouble with NCLB rewrite! The Network For Public Education | http://bit.ly/1AjngfH

WASHINGTON—The transformation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act from an integral part of the War on Poverty to No Child Left Behind’s test-and-punish strategy is now taking a new turn on Capitol Hill. The American Federation of Teachers and the Albert Shanker Institute are sponsoring a conversation on Wednesday, Feb. 18, about the stakes involved in a reauthorized ESEA bill and what it will mean for students. Joining AFT President Randi Weingarten are two of the nation’s top civil rights leaders. Lunch will be served for those who attend. The conversation will be live-streamed here. WHAT:      ESEA at 50: The Federal Government and Equity in American Education WHEN:     Wednesday, Feb. 18, noon-2 p.m. WHERE:   AFT Headquarters, 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W., 4th-floor conference room WHO:        Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers                    Wade Henderson, president & CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights                    Judith Browne Dianis, co-director, Advancement Project The panel will be moderated by Michelle Ringuette, assistant to the AFT president for labor, government relations and political affairs. ESEA at 50: The Federal Government and Equity in American Education Wednesday, Feb 18, 2015 | 12:00pm Reclaiming the Promise of Education Conversation Series 555 New Jersey Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20001 Fifty years ago, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first enacted into law as part of the “war against poverty,” bringing the federal government into American education as a force for equity and educational opportunity. Today, thirteen years after its transformation into No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the debates over the reauthorization of ESEA have posed questions that go to the heart of federal government’s role as a force for educational equity. Will Title One funds be diverted from high poverty students and public schools? Will those funds end up in vouchers and other privatization schemes that undermine the public schools serving the students with the greatest needs? Will the failed NCLB accountability regime be replaced with an approach that supports and improves public schools serving students with the greatest needs? Our panel will discuss these questions and more. Panelists: Judith Browne Dianis, co-director, Advancement Project Wade Henderson, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA (invited) Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers and Albert Shanker Institute. THE LIVESTREAM WILL BE HERE AVAILABLE ON FEB. 18. Sponsored by the Albert Shanker Institute and the American Federation of Teachers, this conversation series is designed to engender lively and informative discussions on important educational issues. We deliberately invite speakers with diverse perspectives, including views other than those of the AFT and the Albert Shanker Institute. What is important is that these participants are committed to genuine engagement with each other. Register HereESEA at 50: The Federal Government and Equity in American Education | Shanker Institute: Big Education Ape: Twitter Call to Action! Tweet your trouble with NCLB rewrite! The Network For Public Education | http://bit.ly/1AjngfH