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2002 Milken National Education Conference
June 03, 2002
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 3, 2002) – This year’s reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) places education reform at the forefront of national policy. But as teacher shortages grow and teacher quality wanes, our nation’s schools must seek innovative education leaders to raise the bar in excellence.
To explore ways of improving teacher quality, more than 100 of our nation’s outstanding K-12 educators will join policy leaders and education experts June 28-29 at the 2002 Milken National Education Conference in Los Angeles.
"Recent reform legislation has the potential to change the landscape of education in America -- demanding that schools be held accountable for student achievement," said Lowell Milken, chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation. "The Foundation has always recognized that talented teachers hold themselves accountable, and we applaud and celebrate the outstanding educators who play such a crucial role in our society's future."
Respected annually as one of the premier seminars in K-12 education, the Milken Family Foundation’s 13th annual National Education Conference will bring together leading strategists in education reform, state superintendents, and 120 award-winning Milken National Educators from 44 states to explore the conditions and opportunities for "Quality Educators in a New Era."
Among this year’s conference highlights is a keynote address by U.S. Under Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok at a luncheon on Friday honoring Milken Educator Award recipients. Hickok, the former Pennsylvania secretary of education, is a proponent of education reform and supports the Milken Family Foundation’s Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), a business model designed to restructure the teaching profession.
This year’s session slate also features:
- Year Two review of the Teacher Advancement Program, including research findings from TAP demonstration sites and strategies for performance-based accountability and ongoing applied professional growth for teachers. New TAP schools for the 2002-2003 school year will be announced;
- Panel exploring journalists’ influence on education policy and reform with former U.S. Secretary of Education and Book of Virtues author William Bennett; best-selling author, columnist and political commentator Arianna Huffington; Los Angeles Times education writer Richard Lee Colvin; and USC Annenberg School of Journalism director Michael Parks;
- "Whole school reform" debate featuring Fordham Foundation President Checker Finn, RAND Senior Policy Researcher Susan Bodilly, and New American Schools CEO Mary Anne Schmidtt; and
- Alternative certification and a new teacher credential program --American Board Certification -- by Dr. Michael Poliakoff of the National Council on Teacher Quality.
The conference culminates with the presentation of the $25,000 Milken National Educator Awards to 120 recipients from across the nation. This black-tie affair, which Teacher Magazine calls “the Oscars of Teaching,” honors some of the real heroes of our country – K-12 educators – and celebrates their achievements in true Hollywood fashion.
An unrestricted $3 million in funds is attached to this year’s Milken National Educator Awards, designed to recognize excellence in America’s elementary and secondary schools and inspire young people to become teachers. Established in 1985, it is the largest teacher recognition program in the U.S., having presented more than $44 million in awards to 1,777 educators in 44 states.
For more information about the 2002 Milken National Education Conference and the National Educator Awards, please contact the Milken Family Foundation Department of Communications at (310) 998-3088, or visit the Foundation’s Web site at http://www.mff.org.