Antonia Cortese, Rudy Crew, Randi Weingarten to Headline
Roundtable Discussion on Turning Around Low-Performing Schools

WASHINGTON, D.C.— In the midst of the national debate about how to improve public schools, the American Federation of Teachers will host a panel discussion this Thursday that will highlight examples of what works to improve student performance in struggling schools, with an eye on the role the federal government plays in helping or hindering these efforts.

 Moderated by AFT Executive Vice President Antonia Cortese, the panel will feature Rudy Crew, superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in New York City. Other participants in the discussion will include school and union leaders from the following districts: ABC Unified School District (Calif.); Avon, N.Y; Bozeman, Mont.; Hempstead, N.Y.; Miami; North Alleghany, Pa.; Toledo, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. Education leaders and members of the press in attendance will have the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session following the discussion.

The panel discussion will kick off the AFT’s 10th Annual Center for School Improvement (CSI) Leadership Institute, a four-day, union-sponsored conference designed to support union and district partnership efforts to raise student achievement. Members of the press are invited to attend training workshops throughout the conference.

WHAT: Roundtable discussion on school improvement success stories, which kicks off four-day AFT/UFT professional development conference.

WHERE and WHEN: Roundtable discussion to take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Hyatt Regency (Yorktown/Valley Forge Room), 400 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Washington, DC.  The institute begins at 3 p.m. on Jan. 24 and continues through Jan. 27 at the Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Washington, DC.

WHO: AFT Executive Vice President Antonia Cortese; Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew; UFT President Randi Weingarten; other district and union leaders; national education leaders and policymakers.

# # # #