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Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: "David J. Theroux" <DJTheroux@independent.org< X-To: jeff.dasovich@enron.com (Mr. Jeff Dasovich) X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Jeff_Dasovich_Oct2001\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: DASOVICH-J X-FileName: jdasovic.nsf Dear Jeff, For decades, reformers have promised to improve the public schools, but recent newspaper headlines show that many schools have gotten worse: * "Threshold lowered on exit exams -- State OKs high school standard below what was originally proposed" * "'Abysmal' exit test results for 9th-graders -- Most flunk if 70% is a passing grade" * "Small wars plague the schools -- Teachers, district, mayor embroiled" * "Schools Add Security in Reaction to Violence" Why have efforts to improve the public school system been such failures? Which reforms are more likely to overcome the political obstacles to improve education? Which reforms best ensure that schools will be held accountable to parents? Which reform proposals have the greatest potential for fostering educational excellence? To explore these and related question, the Independent Policy Forum will feature two noted education experts: Richard Vedder (author, CAN TEACHERS OWN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS?) and John Merrifield (author, THE SCHOOL CHOICE WARS). The program will be held the evening of Thursday, July 5th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Independent Institute's conference center in Oakland, California. For your review, I am adding below an invitation with further details on the program. Because seating is limited, please make your reservations as soon as possible. For further information, please contact me or the Institute's Events Coordinator, Ms. Nichelle Beardsley, at 510-632-1366 x118. We hope to see you on July 5th. Sincerely, David J. Theroux Founder and President The Independent Institute 100 Swan Way Oakland, CA 95621-1428 510-632-1366 Phone 510-568-6040 Fax DTheroux@independent.org http://www.independent.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * WHY ARE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FAILING AND WHAT CAN BE DONE? - Next Independent Policy Forum (July 5, 2001) American children learn less than they did 30 years ago, and even where there are signs of improvement, they are small. Many high school graduates -- 90 percent of whom attended government-operated public schools -- lack the skills needed in today's knowledge-intensive workplace. Further, many students fail to graduate. (The dropout rate in California is 32 percent overall, and 45 percent for immigrants.) Parents and educators have long recognized the shortcomings of the public school system, but their efforts to reform it have failed. Are school vouchers and charter schools the answer? What about teacher-owned schools? What other reforms might make schools more innovative and accountable to parents? Please join us as education experts RICHARD VEDDER and JOHN MERRIFIELD examine new strategies for achieving educational excellence. SPEAKERS: -- RICHARD VEDDER, Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute; Professor of Economics, Ohio University; author, CAN TEACHERS OWN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS? -- JOHN MERRIFIELD, Senior Research Associate; The Education Policy Institute; Professor of Economics, University of Texas, San Antonio; author, THE SCHOOL CHOICE WARS WHEN: Thursday, July 5, 2001 Reception and book signing: 6:30 p.m. Program: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. WHERE: The Independent Institute Conference Center 100 Swan Way Oakland, CA 94621-1428 For a map and directions, see http://www.independent.org/tii/tii_info/about.html#map TICKETS: $30.00 per person: includes one copy of Richard Vedder's book, CAN TEACHERS OWN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS?, OR John Merrifield's book, THE SCHOOL CHOICE WARS, OR admission without a book is $10 per person ($7 for Independent Institute Associate Members) Praise for Richard Vedder's book, CAN TEACHERS OWN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS? "Vedder suggests for-profit schools owned and operated by teachers and school administrators would offer a promising alternative to the present public school system." -- SCHOOL REFORM NEWS "Nobody yet has found a foolproof formula for revitalizing American K-12 education. So let's be humble enough -- and empirical enough -- to try as many tantalizing approaches as we can. In that spirit, I commend Richard Vedder's pioneering ideas." -- CHESTER E. FINN, JR., former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education For more information about CAN TEACHERS OWN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS? see http://independent.org/tii/catalog_pr/policy_schools.html. Praise for John Merrifield's book, THE SCHOOL CHOICE WARS "Professor Merrifield asks this question: what is meant by and what is the intended consequence of reforms bearing such labels as vouchers, school choice, charter schools, privatization, and competition? This book brilliantly and clearly exposes the superficiality and extraordinary fuzziness of those labels." -- SEYMOUR B. SARASON, author, CHARTER SCHOOLS: Another Flawed Educational Reform? For more about this event, see http://www.independent.org/tii/forums/010705ipf.html.
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