Civil Rights and Urban Education: What is necessary to overcome educational Inequality? April 17, 2007

The Donald & Paula Smith Family Foundation

Presents a Discussion

Civil Rights & Urban Education:

What is necessary to overcome educational Inequality?


Featuring

Harold Ford, Jr.

Former Congressman

Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council

Professor of Public Policy, Vanderbilt University


and



Clint Bolick

President and General Counsel, Alliance for School Choice

Co-Founder, Institute for Justice

Author: Voucher Wars



Moderator

Philip Hamburger

Professor, Columbia Law



Co-Sponsor: Columiba Law Federalist Society

Today, more than fifty years since Brown v. Board of Education and twenty years since the landmark report A Nation at Risk, the public education problems they identified still exist. No Child Left Behind nationally along with state-based litigation to increase educational spending are the latest attempts to address these problems. However, improved student outcomes remain illusive. Most acknowledge the biggest problems are in our urban schools. Is there any hope to close the learning gap? Can we expect our existing system to succeed after so many disappointments? Is New York City�s recent experiment with stronger leadership and centralization working? Alternatively, is more decentralization, parental choice and school based competition the answer?

Tuesday, April 17th, 2007
6:30 P.M. Prompt

(Free and open to the public - Reception to follow)



Tuesday April 17th

6:30 PM @ Columbia Law School
Jerome Greene Hall @ 116th and Amsterdam

(Enter on 116th, Room 104)

Subway: 1/9 train to 116th Street station

Official Website: http://www.thesmithfamilyfoundation.org