America Goes Back to School: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan - Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Before crafting education law in Washington, we want to hear from people across America—parents, teachers and administrators—about the everyday issues and challenges in our schools that need our national attention and support."

--U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is traveling throughout the country to engage a broad group of stakeholders—including parents—in an open and honest conversation about federal education policy in anticipation of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Already, the secretary has met with hundreds of mothers and fathers, students, teachers, principals, education support staff, superintendents, college professors, higher education administrators, and community leaders during his national tour, “Listening and Learning: A Conversation About Education Reform.”

One of the most important things policymakers can do is to connect with the people who are affected by the decisions they make. During his tour, Secretary Duncan has heard and noted that in order to prepare students for success in today’s globally competitive workforce, it is not enough simply to preserve the status quo. Parents and other education stakeholders across America want better schools, curricula, and teachers for their children and, through forums such as this National Town Hall Meeting, they are helping to shape future education policy.

On this special edition of Education News Parents Can Use, Secretary Duncan will engage in a live, interactive discussion with parents across the nation by telephone, email, and with a studio audience. This event is one stop along the secretary’s national “Listening and Learning” tour to gather input on the administration's education agenda, including: early childhood learning, quality schools, parent responsibility, higher standards, teacher quality, health and safety, workforce development, and higher education.

Throughout the hour-long program, parents will have a chance to offer the Secretary their suggestions and their hopes about reforming education in the United States in a public dialogue addressing topics of importance to schools, families, and communities, including:

• What is working and what needs to change in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act?
  
• What do we need to do, and what do we need to do differently to ensure our students are successful?
  
• What does a quality school look like and how can more schools become consistently high achieving?
  
• How can parents become more involved with and engaged in their child’s education?
  
• What are some effective practices for recruiting, retaining, supporting and compensating highly effective teachers?
  
• What steps are schools at all levels of education taking to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment?

Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET

Where To Watch: Many local PBS stations broadcast Education News. Please check with your local PBS station or visit www.pbs.org. PBS stations can contact PBS Program Services for downlink details