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2005 National Education Conference Highlights
April 25, 2005
April 26-28, 2005
Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C.
999 Ninth Street NW in Washington, D.C.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27
8:15–10:15 a.m.
The Challenges of School Reform: Implementation, Impact and Sustainability
Past decades have seen numerous attempts at reforming public schools to make sure every child receives a quality education. What are the most prominent education reforms today? What role do elected officials, states and school boards play in helping local districts create effective, comprehensive reform?
- Moderator: Lowell Milken, Chairman and Co-Founder, Milken Family Foundation
- Ray Simon, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
- Tom Payzant, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools
- Anthony Amato, Superintendent, New Orleans Public Schools
- Paul Vallas, Chief Executive Officer, School District of Philadelphia
- Jennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation
10:45–11:00 a.m.
Update on education policy by U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Intersection of Performance Pay and Professional Development
Once a rarity in conversations about school reform, performance pay for teachers is quickly becoming one of the most frequently discussed reforms in the effort to improve teacher quality across the U.S. The Milken Family Foundation's Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), implemented in nine states, incorporates performance pay in the context of professional development and career advancement. What makes TAP different from other performance pay programs that have not worked? How can we make performance pay programs sustainable?
- Moderator: Kristan Van Hook, Vice President, Public Policy, Milken Family Foundation
- Dr. Ken James, Director of Education, State of Arkansas
- Cecil Picard, State Superintendent, State of Louisiana
- Alice Seagren, Commissioner of Education, State of Minnesota
- Dr. Lewis Solmon, Executive Vice President of Education for the Milken Family Foundation and Director of TAP
- Dr. Tamara Schiff, Vice President of Education for the Milken Family Foundation and Associate Director of TAP
- J. Todd White, National Director of Training, TAP
1:00–1:45 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
2:00–3:30 p.m.
Early Childhood: The Proper Path for the Future
There is little debate that all children should enter elementary school prepared and ready to learn. Yet, currently early childhood education is neither universal nor required as a prerequisite for elementary school. If preschool education is to be available for all children, who will provide the funding for it? Who should be responsible for accountability within the system? How should success be measured?
- Chair: Stephen Goldsmith, Daniel Paul Professor of Government, Director, Innovations in American Government Program, Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard University
- Libby Doggett, Executive Director, Pre-K Now
- Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan, Associate Dean for Policy, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Dennis Vicars, Executive Director and CEO, Professional Association for Childhood Education Alternative Payment Program
- Dr. Ron Haskins, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
- Elanna Yalow, President and COO, Knowledge Learning Corporation
7:30–10:30 p.m.
Milken National Educator Awards Ceremony
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 in true Hollywood fashion. The Milken National Educator Awards, established in 1985 by Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken, is active in 47 states plus the District of Columbia.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28
8:00–8:30 a.m.
Remarks by Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH), Chairman, Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
10:30–11:45 a.m.
Meeting the Requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
In just the past three years of implementation, NCLB has made a widespread impact in schools and districts across the country, though how states and districts are meeting the requirements of the law varies. What programs have been successful in meeting the NCLB goals? What have been the greatest challenges? What steps do we need to take to ensure that all teachers are "highly qualified" by 2005-6?
- Moderator: Dr. Lewis Solmon, Executive Vice President of Education for the Milken Family Foundation and Director of TAP
- Nina Rees, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education
- David Driscoll, Commissioner of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Andrew Rotherham, Director, 21st Century Schools Project, Progressive Policy Institute
- Antonia Cortese, Executive Vice President, American Federation of Teachers
12:30–1:00 p.m.
Presentation by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on Bold Education Reform Incorporating Performance Pay
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Reauthorization of Higher Education Act
As Congress works on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act this year, this panel joins education experts to discuss the impact of higher education on K-12 schools and the need to attract, develop, motivate and retain talented teachers. What can and should higher education do to improve K-12 education? What role should schools of education play? How does NCLB affect this role?
- Moderator: J. Ted Sanders, Executive Chairman, Cardean Learning Group, Former President, Education Commission of the States
- Sally Stroup, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
- Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, State Superintendent, State of Ohio
- Dr. Guilbert Hentschke, Professor, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
- Ben Wildavsky, Education Editor, U.S. News and World Report