Athens, Ga. – Larry Cuban, a professor emeritus of education at Stanford University and a national expert on teaching and school reform, will be the keynote speaker at the University of Georgia College of Education’s sixth annual State of Education conference on Sept. 19 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
Cuban will speak on “Three Decades of School Reform and Classroom Practice: The Big Picture,” at 9 a.m.
Cuban has taught courses in the methods of teaching social studies, the history of school reform, curriculum, instruction and leadership at Stanford University. He was also faculty sponsor of the Stanford/Schools Collaborative and Stanford’s Teacher Education Program. Before becoming a professor, Cuban taught social studies in urban high schools, directed a teacher education program that prepared returning Peace Corps volunteers to teach in inner-city schools and served seven years as school superintendent in Arlington, Va.
Greene County School Superintendent Barbara Pulliam Davis will deliver a luncheon address at 11:45 a.m. titled, “Courage to Share the Vision.” Davis, Greene County School Superintendent for the past five years, has worked to increase student achievement through innovative programs such as an elementary school violin program; an International Baccalaureate middle school program and a high school IB Diploma Program. Before coming to Greene County, Davis was the first woman to serve as school superintendent in Clayton County and was a school superintendent in St. Louis Park, Minn.
Andrew Rotherham, a national educational reform advocate, will speak at 1:30 p.m. on national educational policy issues. Rotherham is a co-founder and partner at Bellwether Education, a non-profit organization working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students. He also writes for TIME magazine about education issues as well as the blog Eduwonk.com and is the co-publisher of Education Insider, a federal policy research tool produced by Whiteboard Advisors. Rotherham served at the White House as special assistant on domestic policy during the Clinton administration and is a former member of the Virginia Board of Education.
The day-long event will also feature more than a dozen UGA faculty members and other experts discussing trends and issues related to P-16 education including topics such as creating safe and welcoming schools, student assessment, teacher and leader evaluation systems, and professional ethics in education.
“What IS the State of Education in Georgia?” will be discussed by a closing panel that includes:
● Joseph Barrow, superintendent, Fayette County Schools; president, Georgia School Superintendents Association
● Stan DeJarnett, director, Georgia Vision for Public Education
● Ron Hopkins, board chair, Jefferson City Schools; president, Georgia School Boards Association
● Mike Waldrip, vice president of operations, Benson’s Hospitality Group, Athens.
The event is open to the public. Registration is $95. For more information or to register online, see http://tinyurl.com/state-education.