National Forum on School Improvement to Explore What Works

NEA and AFT Leaders Will Be Keynote Speakers on April 13

Workshops, Discussions to Spotlight Successful Reforms

WASHINGTON—More than 250 of the nation’s top educators, policymakers and experts are expected at the April 12-13 National Forum on School Improvement to explore and consolidate evidence of what works to ensure student success.

The conference, organized by the HOPE Foundation, will feature keynote remarks by the leaders of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. Discussions throughout the workshops and main sessions will spotlight reforms showing success in improving student achievement and public schools. The participants will be referring to a consensus statement titled “Imperatives for Improving U.S. Education” that stresses shared responsibility, continuous growth and professional development opportunities for teachers, successful teaching and learning conditions, and engaged communities.

Highlights include an April 13 panel featuring NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and AFT Executive Vice President Francine Lawrence. The Saturday panel will be held from 1:50 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHAT: National Forum on School Improvement

Panel/workshop topics center on creating high-performing school cultures, ensuring excellent instruction systemwide and sustaining student successes.

WHEN: April 12-13, 2013

WHERE: Hilton Crystal City, Arlington, Va.

WHO: The NEA’s Van Roekel, the AFT’s Lawrence, HOPE’s Alan Blankstein, and more than 25 other presenters and panelists, including from the U.S. Department of Education, the Providence Teachers Union, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, and Boston College’s Lynch School of Education.

The conference’s agenda can be found at: http://www.hopefoundationevents.org/agenda/.

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Contact: Staci Maiers, smaiers@nea.org (202) 822-7823; Janet Bass, jbass@aft.org (202) 879-4554