UF national conference to address

Source:
Eileen Oliver, Conference Coordinator
UF College of Education
352-392-2137, ext. 234

Ann Ooton, Coordinator
University of Florida Conference Department
352-392-1701, ext. 243

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Former New York Times education columnist Richard Rothstein and renowned researchers from Harvard, Boston College and the University of Southern California will join school superintendents from across Florida this November to discuss ways to close the academic gap between the “haves” and “have nots” in a national conference to be held in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Titled “Closing the Achievement Gap Through Partnerships,” the conference, sponsored by the University of Florida’s College of Education, will take on a topic that many people find uncomfortable: the social and economic inequities – inside and outside the classroom – that give children from affluent families a leg up on their less-privileged counterparts.

The conference — aimed at public policy and community leaders, healthcare and counseling programs, school and school district administrators, university education professors and students, school counselors, and teachers at all levels — is set for Nov. 2-4 at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in downtown St. Petersburg. Early registration deadline is Sept. 30.

“Schools have been called on to close this gap, but schools cannot do it alone,” said Catherine Emihovich, dean of UF’s College of Education. “We should also focus on community-based issues affecting the development and education of children, such as access to good healthcare, safe and affordable housing, family support networks and early childhood readiness programs.”

The conference is held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of UF’s College of Education, which has led the way in a number of movements – from school desegregation to Florida’s first Head Start programs and the establishment of the community college system – that have challenged America’s educational inequities.

Speakers at the event will include:

  • Marilyn Cochran-Smith, who holds the John E. Cawthorne Millenium Chair in Teacher Education for Urban Schools at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. The author of a number of books on education, public policy and social justice, Cochran-Smith is past president of the American Educational Research Association, and was co-chair of AERA’s National Panel on Research in Teacher Education.
  • Richard Rothstein, a research associate at the Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit think tank based in Washington, D.C. From 1999-2002, he served as national education columnist for The New York Times. He has written a number of books on education policy in America, most recently Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap.
  • Etta Hollins, a professor at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Hollins is one of the nation’s leading authorities on preparing teachers to work with diverse student populations. She is the author of a number of books on the topic, and has served as vice president of the Social Contexts Division of the American Educational Research Association.
  • Heather Weiss, founding director of the Harvard Family Research Project. Founded in 1983 at Harvard University’ Graduate School of Education, HFRP strives to promote more effective educational practices, programs, and policies for disadvantaged children and youth by generating, publishing, and disseminating research. Weiss is also the co-principal investigator on the MacArthur Foundation-funded School Transition Study, a longitudinal, mixed-method study of low-income students’ successful pathways through middle childhood.
  • Ronald Blocker, superintendent of Orange County Public Schools. Blocker led Orange County schools through their transition to charter school status, and has also led efforts to meet the academic goals of a charter school system. Under his leadership, Orange County has seen an increase in Advanced Placement enrollment and performance, led the state in reading gains among struggling students, and achieved “A” or “B” ratings at three-fourths of its schools. Blocker also played a role in the passage of a half-cent sales tax that is expected to generate $3.3 billion for school construction.
  • Mary Ellen Elia, superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools. In Elia’s first year as superintendent, the Hillsborough County system produced more “A” ratings than at any point in its history. Elia has been with the Hillsborough County system for 20 years, and has served as Director of Non-Traditional Programs, General Director of Secondary Education, and Chief Facilities Officer.
  • James McCalister, Sr., superintendent of Bay District Schools in Northwest Florida. He plays an active role in the public life of Bay County, and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Military Affairs Committee and the NAACP, among other organizations. He is on the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of School Superintendents.

The conference will also feature more than 30 breakout sessions on topics including:

  • Focused partnerships between urban schools and universities
  • Family-school relationships
  • The effects of No Child Left Behind legislation on education

Registration for the conference is $175 before the Sept. 30 registration deadline. Late registration costs $225. Registration will cover a reception, breakfast and lunch for two days of the conference. Registration is available online on the conference website: http://www.doce-conferences.ufl.edu/gap/default.asp. For more information, contact Ann Ooton at the University of Florida at (352) 392-1701 ext. 243 or aooton@doce.ufl.edu.

(NOTE TO EDITORS/REPORTERS: Members of the media are welcome to attend. For media credentials, contact the College of Education’s News and Publications Office at (352) 392-0726 ext. 266. For more information on the conference, go to http://www.doce-conferences.ufl.edu/gap/default.asp.)

By: Tim Lockette, (352) 392-0726 ext. 274; lockette@coe.ufl.edu

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