Education Crisis Summit
State of California Education Panel - Webcast
September 19, 2008 – 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Webcast Links: (Not available until day of the event)
- Real Media – http://its-ms.usc.edu/ramgen/broadcast/live.rm
- Windows Media (high res) – http://its-ms.usc.edu/asxgen/wmtencoder/highres
- Windows Media (low res) – http://its-ms.usc.edu/asxgen/wmtencoder/lowres
Panel Chair:
- Dr. Warren Baker, President, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Confirmed Panelists:
- Dr. Michael Ortiz, President, Cal Poly Pomona
- Dr. Charles Reed, Chancellor, The California State University
- Dr. James Rosser, President, California State University Los Angeles
- David Brewer, Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
- Dr. Thelma Melendez, Superintendent, Pomona Unified School District
Panel Topics:
According to recent estimates, if California were a nation, its economy would rank eighth in the world. How do we account for the comparative
standing of its economy? Certainly, its abundant natural resources play a role. Its strategic location as a commercial gateway to the Pacific
is also important. The primary source of California's economic strength, however, is the extraordinary genius and innovation of its workforce,
particularly in science and technology. Moreover, California's future economic health and standard of living depend upon our ability to
replenish that workforce with highly educated workers, equipped with 21st century skills and competencies.
The state's pre-school through university education system has a strategically vital role to play in securing California's economic future. Yet it faces significant challenges. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to say it is in crisis, as it struggles to deal with reductions in state budget support, continued resource inequities among schools, shortages of qualified teachers – especially in STEM fields, persistent achievement gaps among population segments, high student attrition and low completion rates all along the educational continuum.
This panel will address the current state of California Education. Panelists will be asked to comment on:
- Trends in the economy and in society (globalization, scientific and technological change, demographic diversity, state and federal budget trends, etc.) and specific impacts they are having on education in California.
- The strengths of the current education system and steps we should take to build upon them.
- The education system's weaknesses and steps we should take to address them.
- Their vision for the state of California education in 2020 and for the educational profile of California's population.
During the first two hours, the moderator will offer opening remarks and each panelist will share ten to fifteen minutes of formal remarks, followed by questions from the audience. The last half hour will be devoted to closing remarks from the panelists and moderator.