Common Core: Demystifying And Finding Common Ground

The Schools of Education and Public & International Affairs at Virginia International University (VIU) invite you and interested faculty to attend a National Summit on the “Common Core: Demystifying And Finding Common Ground” on November 1, 2014 (from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). Seating is limited, so early registration is strongly recommended by Wednesday October 28, 2014. Check in begins at 8:15am and closes at 8:45am. The event will take place at the Fairfax Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035).

The goal of this summit is to work toward demystifying the Common Core State Standards Initiative as well as highlight what states like Virginia are doing right as non-adopters who have their own version of their student learning outcomes. We seek to reach a common understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the initiative and how to move forward.

The event will host three panel discussions bringing in perspectives from policy makers, school and district administrators, and teachers. Our invited speakers are listed below by their panel:

Policy Panel

· Dr. Patrick Linehan, COO Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) at George Mason University

· Dr. Neal McCluskey, Associate Director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom

Administrators

· Milton C. Johns, Chairman At-Large of Prince William County Public Schools

· Dr. Virginia Strong Newlin, Accountability Coordinator and Supervisor for Secondary and STEM Education for Kent County Public Schools in Kent County, Maryland

· Cecilia Roe, Director of Instructional Assessment and Professional Development at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)

Teachers

· Stephanie Douglass, 10th Grade English Teacher at Berkmar High School, Gwinnett County, GA

· Dr. Mary Wilson Leventhal, Veteran Teacher, Queen Anne’s County, MD

· Shannon Rice, Middle School Special Education Teacher, Jefferson Central Schools, NY

The purpose of including all three voices is to expand the national discussion on the issue by giving an opportunity for all stakeholders to be heard in regard to the implementation and development of the Common Core. Attendees will emerge from the summit with a solid understanding of the initiative and will be empowered to affect positive change for their students, schools, and districts.

If you are interested, visit our Education Summit website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration,

Sincerely,

Kevin Martin, M.S. and Klara Bilgin, Ph.D.

The Schools of Education and Public & International Affairs

Virginia International University

11200 Waples Mills Road, # 360

Fairfax, VA 22030

P: (703) 865-4468

kevin@viu.edu or kbilgin@viu.edu

www.viu.edu