Dear Friends,

The saga of education reform continues, now almost 30 years after the release of the Reagan administration’s “Nation at Risk” report. Some might say that we are more at risk today than ever. More students live in poverty; high school graduation rates are stable at an unacceptable rate of 70 percent for the overall population, but fall below 50 percent in many urban and rural communities; the United States has fallen from first in the world to 13th in higher education participation.

Clearly, our economic interests and our democratic traditions cannot tolerate this situation.

To that end, I am pleased to announce my participation in Chautauqua Institution’s 2010 In Depth program on education reform. The six- to nine-month Web-based learning experience will provide participants an opportunity for deeper learning and more substantive conversations about the issues through recommended readings, audio/video programming, online discussions and special events I will host, including a Webinar in early May and the In Depth “main event”—a workshop on the Chautauqua Institution grounds, simulcast live online. 

Throughout its history, Chautauqua Institution—located in southwestern New York on the shores of Chautauqua Lake—has established itself as a community where ideas and opinions are exchanged in an open, challenging atmosphere. Organized around weekly themes, the lecture series is Chautauqua’s signature program, the platform for distinguished speakers across a broad range of disciplines. Week Six (August 1–7, 2010) of the Chautauqua Season will explore “Excellence in Public Education” with speakers that include Barbara Bowman of the Erikson Institute, Jonathan Schnur of New Leaders for New Schools and Mark Roosevelt, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools.
 
Our goal is for In Depth to inform and enhance the work on education reform taking place at Chautauqua this summer. The digital platform brings this important discussion online and welcomes the participation of all stakeholders, from administrators and teachers to school board members and parents.
 
I hope you can join me for this important conversation about reforming the American education system. Our nation’s future depends on a highly educated and properly skilled workforce — the engine for that machine is our public education system.

To join me and the rest of the In Depth community, please click the link below:
http://chqindepth.org/indepth1 
 
In service and In touch,
 
Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D.
President and CEO of AACTE, Convener of The Forum