(5/6/98) U.S. Mayors Take Public Schools Cause To The White House
In Washington, May 6-7, 1998
(5/6/98) U.S. Mayors Take Public Schools Cause To The White House
Mayors Present Action Plan to President Clinton and Congressional Leaders
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors, in partnership with AT&T and the A&E Network, is hosting the Mayors' Conference on Public Schools, a two-day meeting of mayors from across the country focusing on the role of mayors in improving public education in their cities. The mayors will be working together to further develop an "Action Plan" that will be presented to President Clinton at the White House on Thursday.
On Wednesday, more than 30 mayors are scheduled to meet with Senator Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois; Sandra Feldman, American Federation of Teachers; Barbara Wheeler, President, National School Boards Association; Waldemar Rojas, President, Council of Great City Schools; Bruce N. Reed, Director, Domestic Policy Council; Timothy J. McClimon, Executive Director, AT&T Education Foundation; and Libby H. O'Connell, Ph.D., Vice President for Community Outreach, A&E Network.
On Thursday, Education Secretary Richard W. Riley will brief the mayors on the President's education agenda. The mayors will then have an opportunity to present their action plan to Congress, followed by remarks by congressional leaders. At 2:00 p.m., the mayors will meet with President Clinton to discuss improving public education, after a brief press event.
Although few mayors control their own school systems, they have become increasingly involved in efforts to ensure the viability of urban public schools. A progression of meetings has provided forums for mayors to share and develop effective strategies for ensuring the quality of these schools. The Mayors Conference on Public Schools continues to build on the series of U.S. Conference of Mayors events focusing on mayoral commitment to public schools.
During Conference President and Mayor Paul Helmke's administration, a summit between mayors and superintendents was held in Detroit in October 1997. From that meeting, mayors agreed to partner with superintendents to find ways to get local government, local officials, business community leaders more involved. The meeting on Wednesday and Thursday will include discussions on:
- School safety
- Class size
- Teacher preparation
- The role of technology in education
- The role of private sector and community organizations in improving the nation's public schools; and
- Other education initiatives pending before Congress
Mayor Helmke and other Conference leaders will be hold press briefings on Wednesday, and Thursday in the Degas Room on the second floor of Loew's L'Enfant Plaza Hotel.The schedule is as follows:
- May 6, 12:00 noon
- May 7, 11:30 a.m.
Video highlights of the Public Schools Conference will be available on satellite to all television news organizations. A one-hour video feed will be available from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, May 7, at these coordinates:
Galaxy 4-
Transponder 22-
Downlink 4140-
Audio 6.1/6.8
All sessions at Loew's L'Enfant Plaza Hotel will be open to the press. Press badges will not be issued, so reporters of legitimate news organizations must have credentials with them at all times.
The Mayors' Conference on Public Schools is sponsored by AT&T and the A&E Network.
Additional information on the agenda and mayors participating is available from the Office of Public Affairs, (202) 861-6708 or 6715.
The United States Conference of Mayors
J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director
1620 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone (202) 293-7330, FAX (202) 293-2352
Copyright © 1996, US Conference of Mayors, All rights reserved.
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