Panel Discusses American Education

The next Westmont Downtown Conversation, “What’s Right and What’s Wrong with American Education,” is a panel discussion lead by local educations specialists at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17, at the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St. Panelists include Peter MacDougall, former president of Santa Barbara City College; Gerri Fausett, superintendent of Hope Elementary School District; Lynne Cavazos, interim director of UCSB’s Teacher Education Program and director of the county Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program; and Westmont education Professor Andrew Mullen.

The event is free and open to the public.

Questions raised during the discussion will include: What are the real issues confronting American Schools? Are the challenges primarily technical or primarily matters of vision and values? Do we need more accountability or less? Is No Child Left Behind helping or hindering teaching and learning? In the half-century since Brown v. Board of Education, how much progress have we really made toward educational equity? In what ways do our local schools mirror key educational challenges at the national level?

The Westmont Foundation sponsors the Downtown Conversations. The Feb. 17 event provides an opportunity to discuss the Feb. 11 Westmont President’s Breakfast speech by Dr. William Bennett and its implications for education in our community and state.

For more information, contact the Westmont public affairs office at (805) 565-7057 or e-mail pubaffairs@westmont.edu.