U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings joined more than 300 national leaders in Washington, DC, for the Aspen Institute's National Education Summit. The Secretary kicked off the summit with a dynamic presentation entitled, “Our Children - Joining the Fight for Education Reform.” She released five education indicators that will complement No Child Left Behind (NCLB) by providing a snapshot of national trends. Following her presentation, she participated in a discussion with Roy Romer, Chairman of Strong American Schools, Joel Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, and Tom Donohue, President & CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Juan Williams of Fox News and National Public Radio moderated the discussion.
The purpose of the bi-partisan event was three-fold: (1) to highlight the impact of the under-performing education system on multiple community sectors, including business, the economy, health care, and national security; (2) to establish a broad consensus on critical reforms necessary for producing an effective education system that will adequately support all sectors of the society and prepare children, regardless of background or family income, for lives of opportunity and citizenship; and (3) to produce and release an action plan outlining the steps necessary for building adequate public support to sustain effective education reform. (September 15) |