ADVISORY: Education Experts to Discuss Rethinking School Governance

Washington, D.C. — At an event on Friday, March 22, 2013, a panel of distinguished education experts will discuss how rethinking school governance and the role of school boards can spur innovation and improve student achievement.

At the event, professors Paul Manna and Patrick McGuinn will provide an overview of the education-governance debate, while education experts Chester Finn and Cynthia Brown will discuss the the future of education governance, each drawing from their contributions to the book Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century: Overcoming the Structural Barriers to School Reform. Finally, our panelists will discuss the policy alternatives and the future of traditional school districts.

The event will also feature the release of a new report, “Mayoral Governance and Student Achievement: How Mayor-led Districts Are Improving School and Student Performance,” by Kenneth Wong, which analyzes the impact of mayoral control on resource management and student achievement in 11 school districts. The event is being co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

WHO:

Welcoming remarks:
Cynthia G. Brown, Vice President for Education Policy, Center for American Progress
Chester E. Finn Jr., President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Featured guests:
Neerav Kingsland, CEO, New Schools for New Orleans
Paul Manna, Associate Professor, Department of Government, College of William & Mary
Patrick McGuinn, Associate Professor of Political Science, Drew University
Nelson Smith, Senior Advisor, National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Kenneth Wong, Director of Urban Education Policy Program; Professor of Education, Political Science, Public Policy, and Urban Studies, Brown University