SPP Hosts Conference "Building Collaborative Education Policy in California" Oct 6
Education, labor, and community leaders from throughout Los Angeles and California will gather at Pepperdine University’s Wilburn Auditorium on Friday, October 6, 2017, from 10 am to 1:30 pm for Pepperdine School of Public Policy’s (SPP) first-ever education conference, “Building Collaborative Education Policy in California.” The event is co-presented by Media Image PR, a grassroots communications agency based in Los Angeles that works to positively impact the lives of the people of California. The conference will also be live-streamed here and on the School of Public Policy’s Facebook page. Conference agenda and speaker bios are available on the conference website.
The conference will delve into key education policy issues impacting the quality of instruction, school integration, funding streams, needed resources, and supports during and after school, graduation rates, and more in Los Angeles and throughout California. Participants will have an opportunity to assess current challenges in the educational landscape, share best practices, and assist in the identification of potential pathways that can lead to collaboration.
“As a graduate policy program that focuses on ways the public can be better involved in policymaking, we're excited to host such a great group of education leaders to explore how Californians can be engaged in the common goal of making our schools the best they can be,” said Pete Peterson, dean of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy.
The event will feature former New Mexico secretary of education Hanna Skandera (MPP ’00), as keynote speaker, and two panels moderated by Kyle Stokes, K-12 education reporter for 89.3 KPCC, and Laura Greanias, executive editor for LA School Report. The first panel, led by Stokes, will present a statewide focus and include:
- Ama Nyamekye, Educators for Excellence
- David Rattray, Center for Education Excellence & Talent Development, LA Chamber of Commerce
- Jed Wallace, California Charter Schools Association
- John Rogers, UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access
- Marshall Tuck, candidate, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The second panel, led by Greanias, will have a local focus and feature:
- Alex Caputo-Pearl, United Teachers of Los Angeles
- Dr. Frances Gipson, Los Angeles Unified School District
- Elise Buik, United Way of Greater Los Angeles
- Hattie Mitchell, Crete Academy
- Ryan J. Smith, The Education Trust-West, California
Panelist Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles noted, "This conference features some of the brightest minds in the city and state's educational system and I'm looking forward to a robust discussion on how we can better support all of our students in the classrooms and beyond to college and careers.”
For more information about the conference contact Christina Ramirez at (310) 506-7497 or via e-mail at christina.ramirez@pepperdine.edu.