On Thursday, Jan. 21, the Wayne State University College of Education’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program, supported by Metro Bureau, will host a panel discussion featuring Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Whiston, ‘91, ‘02, titled “Making Michigan a Top 10 Education State in 10 Years.”
Panel members will also include Michael Addonizio, professor, Wayne State University; Monique Beels, ‘89, ‘98, ‘02, superintendent, Clawson Public Schools; Mike DeVault, superintendent, Macomb Intermediate School District; Randy Liepa, ‘90, ‘97, superintendent, Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency; and Thomas Parker, superintendent, Ecorse Public Schools.
The panel will be moderated by Alicia Nails, director of the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity at Wayne State University.
The shared goal of Whiston and the Michigan Board of Education is to change Michigan into a top 10 education performing state over the next ten years. While this goal is both commendable and timely, educators and parents wonder what this will mean for the children of Michigan’s public schools. The state’s overall scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are currently ranked 40th in the United States and Michigan falls below the midpoint in state rankings on other quality indicators, such as preschool enrollment and high school graduation rates.
The public is invited to Wayne State University for a lively panel discussion on this topic. The panelists will share perspectives on the current state of public education in Michigan at the state, regional, local and classroom levels, along with recommended changes to make the top 10 goal a reality.
The panel discussion will take place in the McGregor Memorial Conference Center’s Community Arts Auditorium, located on Wayne State’s main campus in Detroit. The program will include registration and a reception from 5 to 6 p.m., providing attendees with an opportunity to network with panel members and fellow educators. Refreshments will be served. The panel discussion will take place from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Free parking is available, with information provided upon RSVP at specialevents.wayne.edu/making-michigan-top-10-2015. For additional information, please contact Carla Harting at 313-577-1675 or ae2562@wayne.edu.