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Friday, March 20, 2009
11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center
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In the past, ensuring a quarter of high school graduates were college-ready was sufficient to support our students’ futures and our state’s workforce needs. Today we must prepare all of our students, from preschool to high school, to achieve at much higher levels. And while Minnesota does well with some students, the state has one of the highest gaps between students of color and white students and between students of different income levels.
Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust, spelled out critical steps Minnesota could take to close the opportunity gap. Haycock has been a leading voice for keeping state and federal reform efforts focused on educational equity for all students. Rudy Crew, a nationally recognized innovator, author, and former school district superintendent (New York, Miami-Dade), offered candid reflections on the obstacles that arise when trying to change urban school systems.
Following the speakers, Bush Foundation President Peter Hutchinson facilitated a discussion on the tough decisions we must make to ensure every student has great teachers, a great school, and a successful future.
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