Agenda: Educating for Character and Citizenship
New Orleans • February 15-16, 2018
Educating for Character and Citizenship Print Program
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
- 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.