Federal Panel to Hold Briefing With DC Public School Chancellor and Former DC Mayor...

Federal Panel to Hold Briefing With DC Public School Chancellor and Former DC
Mayor on Civil Rights Issues and School Choice

What: Briefing of the District of Columbia Advisory Committee to the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights

When: Thursday, October 16, 2008, 9:30 a.m.

Where: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 624 9th St., Rm. 540, N.W.,
Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The District of Columbia
Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a briefing
to gather information from elected officials, government officials, education
specialists, and community advocates on the issue of civil rights, school
choice, and education in the District of Columbia.

Background: Leaders talk about the vital importance of education - John McCain
has called education the civil rights issue of the 21st century and Barack
Obama stated the neglect and failure to act to improve public education has
put our nation in jeopardy. Still, disparities remain. Nationwide, the high
school graduation rate for African-American students is 57 percent, for Latino
students 60 percent, while graduation rates for white students are 78 percent.
Additionally, according to some estimates, white students in twelfth grade are
on average four years ahead of black students in reading and math skills. This
briefing will look at education issues in the District, including whether
extending school choice options can help improve the quality of education for
the children of D.C.

Participants include Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the D.C. Public Schools, and
former Mayor Anthony Williams. The briefing will also include Ximena Hartsock,
Tameria Lewis, Erin McGoldrick and Abigail Smith of the D.C. Public School
System, Brian Jones of the D.C. Public School Charter Board, Casey Lartigue,
former policy analyst with Cato's Center for Educational Freedom, Ariana
Quinones-Miranda of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools, Aryan Rodriguez of the
D.C. Office of Human Rights, Don Soifer of the Lexington Institute, Lisa
Tabaku of the Center for Applied Linguistics, and Attorney Donna Wulcan.

The briefing is open to the public.

The DC Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has established state advisory committees
to advise the Commission about civil rights issues in their states that are
within the Commission's jurisdiction. More specifically, the committees are
authorized to receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from
individuals, public officials, and representatives of public and private
organizations in response to committee inquiries; forward advice and
recommendations to the Commission; and assist the Commission in its public
education and outreach efforts. The committees are comprised of state
citizens who serve without compensation.

SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Lenore Ostrowsky of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, +1-202-376-7700