STATEWIDE EDUCATION SUMMIT TO FEATURE
GOVERNOR PERRY, SPEAKER CRADDICK, OTHER TEXAS EDUCATION LEADERS

Public education improvement, innovation, is goal of largest Texas education conference

AUSTIN, Texas (March 10, 2006) — As state lawmakers prepare for a special legislative session on public education, how Texas’ public school system should be reformed and improved will be discussed at Texas’ largest one day education conference that brings the entire school community together along with key policymakers, business leaders and others.

The Statewide Education Summit will be held March 23 in Austin at the Austin Convention Center. All Summit events are open to the press. The Summit is held annually by the Texas Education Reform Foundation.

“As Texas lawmakers prepare to consider major changes to the state’s public education system, it’s more important than ever for all those interested in the education of our children to thoroughly discuss all the issues,” said Vidal Martinez, chairman of the Texas Education Reform Foundation. “This conference is an opportunity for the entire education community, business leaders and policymakers to share their ideas and discuss the most pressing issues our schools face.”

Summit keynote speakers will include:

* Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige (10:15 a.m.)
* Gov. Rick Perry (11:55 a.m. luncheon speaker)
* Texas House of Representatives Speaker Tom Craddick (3:25 p.m.)

Panel discussions will include:

• “School Finance Reform” (9:15 a.m.) – State Sen. Florence Shapiro, chairman, Senate Education Committee, and chairman, Senate Select Committee on Education Reform & Public School Finance; Sen. Royce West, vice chairman, Senate Education Committee; State Rep. Kent Grusendorf, chairman, House Education Committee, and chairman, House Select Committee on Public Education Reform; Rep. Rob Eissler, member, House Education Committee, and vice chairman, House Select Committee on Public Education Reform.
• “The State of Public Schools in Texas” (10:35 a.m.) – Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley and Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes.
• Other panels to be held are “High Quality High Schools,” “High School Improvement Strategies,” “Education Reform Dialogue: HB 2 and Beyond” and “Teacher Preparation Programs, Preliminary Research.”

For more information on the Statewide Education Summit, please contact Elizabeth Burgoyne at (469) 358-6335.