Student Voices on Education: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan

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On a special edition of Education News Parents Can Use, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will host a special national town hall forum with students to discuss what is working and what needs improvement in our nation’s schools. The secretary also will explore how America’s young people are responding to the President’s challenge to take responsibility for their learning and achievement. Live from the PBS television station, WETA, Secretary Duncan will take comments and questions from students in the studio audience and others throughout the nation via telephone and e-mail. The conversation will focus on improving the quality of student’s educational experiences; their aspirations for college and future careers; contributions to civic life through volunteer service; and, critical influences on young people’s decision-making and academic choices.

This special event is one stop on Secretary Duncan’s national tour, “Listening and Learning: A Conversation About Education Reform,” which is gathering input on the administration's education agenda, including: early childhood learning, parental responsibility, stronger academic standards, teacher quality, health and safety, workforce development, and higher education. The secretary is talking with a broad group of education stakeholders—including students—in an open and honest conversation about federal education policy.

Already during this national tour, the secretary has traveled to some 30 states and has met with hundreds of students, teachers, parents, principals, education support staff, superintendents, college professors, higher education administrators, and community leaders. Throughout the hour-long program, students will have a chance to offer the secretary their thoughts and hopes about education in the United States. The public dialogue will address topics of importance to students, families, and communities, including:

* Why is it important for students to assume personal responsibility for their education?
* Why is a college education more important than ever before? What federal, state, local, private, and philanthropic programs and initiatives are helping students achieve their postsecondary goals?
* How can we make postsecondary education more affordable for American families?
* What can be done in school, the home, and the community to teach and reinforce civic virtues, our democratic traditions, and a sense of civic pride?
* What are the key influences on student’s personal and academic choices?
* How can students achieve academic and personal success in the 21st Century?