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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2000

News Release

NEA Members Examine Education Improvements At Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women

Washington, D.C. -- Expanding educational opportunity and helping all students meet high standards will be the focus of the Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women scheduled for June 28-29 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers in Chicago, Illinois. The conference is held each year in connection with the Annual Meeting of the 2.5 million-member National Education Association (NEA).

"Our members take seriously their role in fulfilling the promise of democracy through full access to quality education," said NEA President Bob Chase. "The Joint Conference gives people an opportunity to get down to the nuts and bolts of how to make it happen at the classroom level."

A variety of plenary sessions and workshops will provide information on challenges facing teachers and other school employees today. The morning of the first day, participants will be able to get help on issues such as closing the achievement gap for poor and minority students, recruiting and retaining minority teachers, making schools safer, or building community support for schools.

Throughout the two days of the conference, participants will be able to learn strategies on ensuring gender equity, meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, and helping make schools safer.

One focus of the conference will be enhancing teacher quality. Sessions will be held on certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, innovative methods for retaining and mentoring teachers and other school employees, and developing the next generation of teachers.

A number of sessions on school safety will be featured, including bullying prevention techniques, sexual harassment prevention, and community engagement - making sure students are safe at school and in neighborhoods.

The luncheon speaker on Thursday, June 29, will be Thomas Todd, an attorney and civil rights activist from Chicago. Todd is an inspirational speaker and dynamic activist who has handled many civil rights cases involving education, housing, and employment discrimination, including arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Illinois and Louisiana Supreme Courts.

Copies of the complete agenda are available from NEA Communications.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.