OXFORD, Miss. – According to the 2000 U.S. Census, fewer than one in five adults in Mississippi hold at least a bachelor’s degree, and the national statistic, one in every four, isn’t much better.
Based on such dismal figures, the University of Mississippi School of Education has organized the national education policy forum “Education Policy and the 44th U.S. President.” Scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 25 in Fulton Chapel, the event gathers nationally recognized educational experts to examine important issues in education.
In an open discussion, question-and-answer format, panelists are to focus on the larger topics of college affordability, institutional accessibility, high-stakes testing and school accountability. Admission is free and open to the public but a ticket is required. Tickets are available online at http://www.olemiss.edu/conf/
The forum is among dozens of campus events planned around the first 2008 presidential debate, hosted at UM Sept. 26.
“National security, the economy, health care: these are all domestic issues that presidential candidates must address, but all of these issues relate back to education,” said RoSusan D. Bartee, professor of leadership and counselor education and organizer of the forum. “Education is where it all begins. We have to have educated leaders. They are the ones making decisions on the country’s domestic issues.”
Panel moderator is Susan Fuhrman, president of Columbia University’s Teacher College. Panelists include Bill Brock, a Washington, D.C., consultant and former labor secretary under President Ronald Reagan; M. Christopher Brown, Jr., professor and dean of education at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Rick Hess, resident scholar and director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; Gloria Billings, the Kellner Family Professor of urban education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Marc Tucker, president and CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy; Rod Paige, co-founder and chairman of Chartwell Education Group and former Education Secretary; and Sara Hegel, senior editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“Education is both a civil and human right,” Bartee said. “Education provides options for us, and the next administration needs to be aware of the specific issues that are keeping the public from obtaining an education.”
Consider the cost of a college education: According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, as many as 25 percent of all college students are financing their education through credit cards.
“That’s financial suicide,” Bartee said. “It is sad to have our college students burdened by debt that, in many regards, cannot be repaid. It is very difficult to concentrate on achieving educational success when faced with economic challenges and other implications from starting behind in any given capacity.”
“We are pleased to host this event around these important educational issues,” said Tom Burnham, UM education dean. “The local and university community should come away with a great deal of knowledge from some of the top experts in the country.”
For more information or to request assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7063. To learn more about the School of Education, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/