Educators, administrators, public policy experts, parents and students will gather at ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ University Oct. 16 to explore the challenges and solutions that families and schools must face as they prepare young people for the future.
, called “Families and Education,” will be moderated by in the ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ Student Life Center, with registration starting at 8 a.m. Topics to be covered include graduation rates, achievement gaps, post-secondary opportunities for students, school culture and teacher training.
“This conference will present teachers, administrators and families an excellent opportunity to learn about examples of best practices in high schools in Tennessee and other states,” Purcell said. “Tennessee’s high school graduation has been on a downward trend for many years and now stands at only 78 percent. This conference comes at a critical time for educators, policy makers and families to examine what must be done to help our young people succeed in school and future careers,” he said.
Speakers include: , professor of special education and the Betts Chair of Education and Human Development at ; Pat Cooper, superintendent of schools in McComb, Miss.; Jack Foley, vice president for government and community affairs and campus services, , Worcester, Mass.; Vivian Morris, professor, ; and Linda O’Neal, executive director for the .
The daylong conference was started in 1992 by former Vice President Al Gore and Tipper Gore as a way to bring together academic and community leaders to discuss issues related to families. ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ began hosting the conference in 1997 when Purcell, a former Tennessee legislator and attorney, became director of ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ’s .
Each time the conference has focused on different aspects of the American family. Previous participants have included former President Bill Clinton, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, former Tennessee Titan Eddie George and former U.S. Surgeon General David Thatcher.
The conference is hosted by the ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ Child & Family Policy Center and in collaboration with the Funding is provided by the .
For more information on the conference, contact the ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ Child & Family Policy Center at 615-322-8505.
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, 615-322-NEWS
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu