It's time for a national conversation that serves as an urgent call to action and establishes common ground for effective and lasting reform of public education.

The future of the U.S. economy as well as our nation's competitiveness and security in the world will depend on the effectiveness of our education system in meeting the needs of all children. On September 15th, 2008 in Washington, D.C. the Aspen Institute will convene a National Education Summit to:

• Highlight the impact of our under-performing education system on multiple community sectors including the economy, business, national security and health care.
• Establish a broad consensus on critical reforms necessary for producing an effective education system that will adequately support all sectors of our society and prepare children – regardless of background or family income for lives of opportunity and productive citizenship
• Produce and release an action plan outlining the steps necessary for building adequate public support to sustain effective education reform

The Summit will come at a critical time in the election cycle providing an opportune backdrop for highlighting key education reform issues and forcing national, state and local candidates to address them in a meaningful way and will launch a renewal of our national commitment to strong accountability for results in improving the academic performance of all students.

ABOUT THE SUMMIT:

In the last several years, students across our country have made gains in reading and math, and poor and minority students have begun catching up to their peers.  Yet, we still have a long way to go.  Despite spending more money per child than nearly every other developed country, US students are falling farther behind their international peers and just half of all African-American and Hispanic students graduate from high school in four years.  This frank conversation amongst key leaders about the state of American education will underscore the seriousness of our current situation and how vital it is that we work across party lines, and with all sectors of our society, to develop a superior educational system, based on accountability and transparency, that serves all our children well, regardless of income, race or zip code and prepares them to compete in the global economy.

Our bi-partisan, invitation only summit will bring together over 300 national leaders from different sectors of American life – including current and former cabinet secretaries, governors and policymakers – as well as key influencers in the economic, business, civil rights, education, national security, media and philanthropic communities. The Summit will come at a critical time in the election cycle providing an opportune backdrop for highlighting key education reform issues and forcing national, state and local candidates to address them in a meaningful way and will launch a renewal of our national commitment to strong accountability for results in improving the academic performance of all students

SUMMIT GOALS

• Promote a shared understanding of the critical connection between an effective education system for all children and success and progress in the critical areas of our national life most often cited as top voter concerns, such as the economy, security, jobs, and healthcare.
• Establish a broad consensus on the reforms necessary for producing an effective education system that will adequately support all sectors of our society and prepare children – regardless of background or family income for lives of opportunity and productive citizenship. 
• Mobilize the broad and growing consensus behind the important elements that constitute an academic bottom line on behalf of all students including: accountability for results, transparency on performance and high and measurable expectations for all.

To find out more about the National Education Summit or to learn about how you can follow the conversation on our live webcast, contact nationaleducationsummit@aspeninstitute.org.