The Hunt Institute Gathers Virginia Policymakers for Education Dinner Series with John B. King
May 1, 2018
Richmond, VA – The Hunt Institute, an education nonprofit based in North Carolina, will hold its second education policy dinner this evening in Richmond, Virginia. The dinner is supported by the Robins Foundation, a private, family foundation leading transformational change in the greater Richmond community through innovative philanthropy that inspires solutions to society’s greatest challenges. The dinner will bring together a wide range of policymakers and Virginia legislators to focus on Discipline & Student Success.
The May 1st dinner will feature John B. King, Jr., President & CEO of The Education Trust and former U.S. Secretary of Education. King will speak on school discipline challenges faced by districts and states. Recently, school discipline policies have gained significant attention nationally and in Virginia for their impact on student achievement and opportunity.
King is no stranger to the classroom. He was a teacher himself, helped found a charter school in Boston, served as Commissioner of Education for New York State, and served as Principal Senior Advisor at the Department of Education prior to becoming the U.S. Secretary of Education. King brings a continued commitment to the advancement of equity for all students and adamantly supports elevating educators and the teaching profession.
“New civil rights data continue to show deeply troubling disparities for students of color and students with disabilities,” said John B. King, Jr. “State and district leaders alongside advocates must protect students’ safety and act urgently to disrupt a very real school-to-prison pipeline.”
Previously, the Hunt Institute hosted a dinner for Virginia legislators and policymakers on February 27, featuring Brad Jupp, Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute, as the evening’s speaker. Jupp spoke about Virginia’s ongoing teacher shortage issue and policies to build the teacher pipeline. He shared his experience developing innovative responses to the challenges of teacher recruitment and retention and creating compensation systems that provide the right incentives for a sustainable teacher pipeline overall.
The dinner series is co-sponsored by The Hunt Institute and the Robins Foundation and co-hosted by Senator Steve Newman, Chairman of the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee, and Delegate Steve Landes, Chairman of Virginia House of Delegates Education Committee, in coordination with Delegate Lamont Bagby, Chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, and Senator Jennifer McClellan, Vice Chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.
“We made positive strides toward limiting suspensions and expulsions for our youngest students in the 2018 session,” said Delegate McClellan. “Now we have the opportunity to continue to build on that to provide schools and districts with the resources they need to support all of our students.”
“Over the past few years, the legislature showed bipartisan support for reforming school discipline and the disparities in the use of long-term suspensions for students,” said Delegate Bagby. “We are excited to have John King, a national leader on this issue, share insights into how we can continue this important work.”
The dinner and speaker series are by invitation only due to the limited space at each event. The goal of the series is to encourage attendees to engage with other participants around the critical issues facing student success in Virginia.
“After three successful Summits in partnership with the House and Senate Education Committees, we are excited to continue critical education conversations throughout the year,” said Dr. Javaid Siddiqi, Hunt Institute President & CEO. “I am impressed with the Committees’ dedication to the future of Virginia’s education system.”
[metaslider id=3441]
About The Hunt Institute
An affiliate of the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, The Hunt Institute is a recognized leader in the movement to transform public education. Marshaling expertise from a nationwide partner network since it was established in 2001, The Institute brings together people and resources that help build and nurture visionary leadership and mobilize strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success.
Media Contact: Michele Jordan, Chief of Staff
984.377.5049 | mjordan@hunt-institute.org
