Tuesday | September 9, 2014

Twelve years after the passage of No Child Left Behind and five years into Race to the Top, America finds itself in a ‘test and punish’ system of school accountability that poorly serves the nation and its students. Educational outcomes have not meaningfully improved, and progress towards educational equity has stalled. The burden of these failures falls most heavily on those students with the greatest needs, especially students living in poverty, students with special needs and English Language Learners. From different vantage points in the world of American education, this panel will offer its perspective on how to develop an accountability system that is focused on supporting and improving schools, and holds all of the stakeholders in American education – from the educator and the school to the district and the state and federal governments – responsible for the success of America’s students.

Speakers:

Pedro A. Noguera, Professor of Education Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development; Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, New York University

Joshua Starr, Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, Albert Shanker Institute

Moderator: Leo Casey, Executive Director, Albert Shanker Institute

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.

Materials