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Increasingly, business, the media and philanthropy are making improving education a top priority. With exposés on issues such as charter schools, testing, and urban education, the media has brought pressing issues to the forefront of political and social discourse. Businesses and philanthropists have made a substantial impact on education by directing dollars towards specific reform programs. How are these three entities shaping the face of education? Are these efforts positively affecting student achievement?

• Chair: Lowell Milken, Chairman, Milken Family Foundation
  
• Russlynn Ali, Executive Director, Education Trust-West
  
• Richard Colvin, Director of Educational Issues, Hechinger Institute
• Jay P. Greene, Head of the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas
• Dan Katzir, Managing Director, The Broad Foundation
• Sandy Kress, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
• Rod Paige, Chairman, Chartwell Education Group LLC, and former U.S. Secretary of Education

Unlike federal programs such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the programs that stem from the education sector are typically done on a smaller scale—turning around a school district, implementing a reform in a handful of schools or even a pilot program in one school. While the initial number of students affected by such changes is smaller than in a national program, the long-term impact can be tremendous. What specific reforms have made significant improvements in student achievement and teacher quality? What challenges does the education sector face in its effort to think "outside the box"?

• Chair: Dr. Lewis C. Solmon, President, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
  
• Dr. Thomas Carroll, President, National Commission on Teaching and America's Future
  
• Dr. Joan Baratz-Snowden, Director of Educational Issues, American Federation of Teachers
  
• Dr. Gary Stark, Vice President of Program Development, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
• Paul Vallas, Chief Executive Officer, School District of Philadelphia
• Dr. Susan Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of Ohio

With the implementation of No Child Left Behind, the federal government made a clear statement that public education needed to change dramatically. NCLB stands for strong standards, strong accountability, and above all, a strong focus on improvement in the quality of our nation's public education from early childhood through high school. Looking at the impact of NCLB, what are the roles of various levels of government in improving teacher quality and student achievement? Does federalism help or hinder these roles?

• Chair: Dr. Stephen Goldsmith, Daniel Paul Professor of Government and Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
  
• Alice Cain, Senior Counsel, Congressman George Miller (D-CA)
• Dr. Chester (Checker) Finn, President, Fordham Foundation
• Dr. Henry Johnson, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, United States Department of Education
• Nina Rees, Vice President of Strategic Strategies, Knowledge Universe Learning Group, and former Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement, United States Department of Education
• Dr. Ted Sanders, Executive Chairman, Cardean Learning Group

Moderated by Dr. Lewis Solmon, President of National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, this panel of policy experts, congressional representatives and U.S. Department of Education staff members will present an in-depth look at the new $99 million Teacher Incentive Fund and discuss funding opportunities for districts and states seeking to create or expand performance pay programs.

From urban to suburban to inner city, all teachers face the challenge of improving student achievement. What are teachers specifically doing at the school, district, state and federal levels to enhance teacher quality, attract high-caliber teachers to the profession, and close the achievement gap? What are some effective strategies that help students grow, even in our highest need areas? A select group of Milken Educators share their views of the process from policy to practice.

• Chair: Lowell Milken, Chairman, Milken Family Foundation
  
• Dr. Doris Alvarez, Principal, Preuss School at the University of California, San Diego
• Jennifer Couch, Teacher, Kedron Elementary School, Peachtree City, GA
• Amanda Mayeaux, Teacher, Dutchtown Middle School, Geismar, LA
• Charles McAfee, Headmaster/Director, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Boston, MA
• Paula Nunez, Education Consultant, NM
• William Richey, Teacher, Xenia High School, Xenia, OH

Dubbed the "Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher Magazine, this black-tie affair presents a unique opportunity for some of America's finest teachers, principals and specialists to be showcased and honored. The Milken National Educator Awards, established in 1985 by Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken, is active in 48 states plus the District of Columbia.