Thursday, February 15, 2018
InterContinental New Orleans

Registration & Lunch
12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Welcome & Opening Activity
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

• David Loewenberg, Education Writers Association
• Greg Toppo, USA Today

Character & Citizenship: The Evolving Role for Schools
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
What’s the appropriate role for schools in developing students’ character and preparing engaged citizens? Whose values should educators impart, especially in an increasingly diverse society? How does the push for social and emotional learning fit into the mix? Experts unpack the issues, highlight promising practices, and identify key challenges.

• David Adams, The Urban Assembly
• Marvin Berkowitz, University of Missouri – St. Louis
• Jennifer Kavanagh, RAND Corporation
• Erik Robelen, Education Writers Association (moderator)

How I Did the Story (and What I Learned)
2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
Reporters who have produced enterprising coverage of efforts to educate the “whole child” — from in-depth stories to regular reporting on the beat — share advice, insights and lessons learned.

• Evie Blad, Education Week
• Kavitha Cardoza, Education Week/PBS Newshour
• Cory Turner, NPR Education
• Emily Richmond, Education Writers Association (moderator)

Education for Democracy: Promoting Civic Engagement
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
To what extent are public schools today helping develop a new generation of engaged citizens? Amid intense political division, how can schools equip students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be active citizens and even change agents? Experts and educators explore the issues and share promising approaches.

• Abby Kiesa, Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
• Robert Pondiscio, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Sunny Dawn Summers, New Harmony High (New Orleans)
• Alia Wong, The Atlantic (moderator)

Reception
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Friday, February 16, 2018

Breakfast
8:15 – 8:45 a.m.

Framing Remarks for Day Two
8:45 – 9:15 a.m.  
Ron Berger, the chief academic officer of EL Education and a longtime educator, discusses educating for character and citizenship. He also frames the morning’s programming and prepares journalists for interactive sessions with educators and students.

• Ron Berger, EL Education

Moving From Theory to Practice
9:15 – 9:35 a.m.
Educators discuss approaches to building character, including apprenticeships, service learning, leadership development, and restorative justice.

• Abramson Sci Academy (New Orleans)
• Dudley High School (Greensboro, NC)
• KIPP Leadership Academy (New Orleans)
• St. Augustine High School (New Orleans)
• unCommon Construction (New Orleans)

Students Take Center Stage
9:40 – 10:00 a.m.
Students from schools that emphasize the development of character and citizenship share their experiences and impressions.

Roundtable Talks with Students and School Leaders
10:10 – 11:10 a.m.
Journalists engage in small group discussions with educators and students.

Debrief of Morning Sessions
11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
Journalists reflect on their discussions with educators and students and share ideas for using the experience to inform and improve their coverage.

• Ron Berger, EL Education

Lunch
12:25 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Rethinking Student Discipline: The Push for ‘Restorative Justice’
1:20 – 2:20 p.m.
Schools across the country are rethinking age-old discipline practices in an effort to reduce suspensions, improve school culture, and create equitable policies and procedures. Restorative justice is gaining traction as one approach. What does it look like in action? Does it work? What are the connections with character development?

• Troi Bechet, Center for Restorative Approaches
• Max Eden, The Manhattan Institute
  • School Discipline Brief
• Rebecca McCammon, Saint Paul Public Schools
• Mallory Falk, freelance journalist (moderator)

Teaching Media Literacy in the Era of Fake News
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
The emergence of “fake news” has elevated the role of schools in preparing young people to be discerning consumers of media. What skills do students need to navigate the changing media landscape? Can the issue of media literacy unite liberals and conservatives, or will it be consumed by partisanship?

• Jana Chao, Eastside Elementary School (Clinton, Mississippi)
• Sherri Hope Culver, Temple University
• Damaso Reyes, The News Literacy Project
• Greg Toppo, USA Today (moderator)

Brainstorming Session: Covering Character and Citizenship
3:35 – 4:00 p.m.
You’ve heard from educators, students, analysts, and fellow journalists. Now what? Reporters huddle together and share ideas to take back to their newsrooms.