Education Policy Breakfast Series

The NYU Steinhardt Education Policy Breakfast Series brings together policy leaders, legislators, business people, heads of corporations, foundations and advocacy organizations, university faculty, and school superintendents. For more than a decade, our goal has been to illuminate contemporary educational issues and foster discussion among the many constituencies concerned with education at both the local and national levels.


2012-2013 Series: The Common Core Standards: Implementation, Assessment Challenges, and Potential Outcomes and Consequences

For the past thirteen years, this series has brought together educators, legislators, researchers, foundation officers, and representatives of corporations, unions and advocacy organizations for guided discussions about important issues in education. Last year, our theme was teacher quality and effectiveness, and we launched our discussion with guest speaker Dennis Walcott, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. We at NYU Steinhardt are proud to host these conversations and to have your partnership in addressing these issues.

This year, our theme for discussion will be the new Common Core Standards. Over the course of three sessions, we plan to examine the Common Core Standards and issues regarding their implementation, challenges that may arise in assessing achievement, and the potential outcomes of the standards—both intended and otherwise. Questions we will consider include: What are the common core standards, and how were they developed? What will be the impact on teacher education in New York City and beyond? Are there any issues or special populations that have not been considered? We anticipate an informed, spirited discussion involving policymakers, education leaders, and researchers about this very timely issue.

Please find the dates, subjects, and confirmed speakers for this year's series below. Invitations to each session will follow.

Episode 1: Goals, Aspirations, and Concerns (Friday, November 30, 2012)

The first installment will focus on defining the Common Core Standards and looking at potential issues in their implementation. To do so, we will be joined by a distinguished panel: Dane Linn, one of the leaders behind the development of the Common Core State Standards Initiative; New York City's Chief Academic Officer, Shael Polakow-Suransky, to speak about implementation at the city level; and New York State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr., to speak about implementation at the state level.

Guest speakers:
John B. King, Jr., Commissioner, New York State Department of Education 
Dane Linn, Vice-President of Education, Workforce and Innovation at Business Roundtable
Shael Polakow-Suransky, Chief Academic Officer, New York City Department of Education

Moderator:
James Fraser, Professor of History and Education, NYU Steinhardt

Episode 2: Challenges in Assessment (Friday, February 22, 2013)

The second installment focuses on how achievement of the Common Core Standards will be evaluated -- among students, teachers, and schools -- and the challenges that will be faced. A distinguished panel of scholars and national experts joins us for this discussion.

Guest speakers:
Roger Benjamin, President, Council for Aid to Education
Michael Casserly, Executive Director, Council of the Great City Schools 
Lucille E. Davy , Senior Advisor, James B. Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy

Moderator:
Susan B. Neuman, Professor of Literacy Education and Associate Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning, NYU Steinhardt

Episode 3: Desired Outcomes and Potential Consequences (Friday, April 19, 2013)

The third and final installment in this year's series will explore the impact of the Common Core standards, from the outcomes desired by policymakers to possible unintended consequences for students, teachers, and schools. To do so, we will be joined by a distinguished panel featuring a policy maker, a researcher, and a practitioner.

Guest Speakers:
James Cibulka, President, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Ramon Gonzalez, Principal, MS 223 The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology
Okhee Lee, Professor of Childhood Education, NYU Steinhardt
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

Moderator:
Joseph McDonald, Professor of English Education, NYU Steinhardt