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Kirp's piece asking what it would take to give students a first-rate education was recently featured in an opinion piece in The New York Times, according to a news release from the symposium. The symposium entitled "No Quick Fixes: Just A Sustained Focus" begins at 4 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Ferguson Library in Stamford.
Kirp, a professor of Public Policy at The University of California at Berkeley, believes "that there is a sensible way to rebuild public education and close the achievement gap for all students," according to the release.
“What makes Union City, [N.J.] remarkable is, paradoxically, the absence of pizzazz," Kirp wrote in his opinion piece, according to the release. "It hasn’t followed the herd by closing 'under-performing' schools or giving the boot to hordes of teachers. No 'Teach for America' recruits toil in its classrooms, and there are no charter schools.” Kirp argues that there is no reason why school districts nationwide “cannot construct a system that, like the schools of Union City, bends the arcs of children’s lives.”
Kirp will share his findings at the Stamford on how the transformation in Union City, "offers a nationwide strategy that argues for reinventing the public schools,” according to the release. The Symposium will be moderated by Dudley Williams and wll feature a panel of educators, including Union City Schools Superintendent Stanley "Sandy" Sanger and Stamford Schools Superintendent Winifred Hamilton.
“In Union City everyone was part of the same mission. They concentrated on high expectations, commitment to work hard, and focus on college readiness,” said Hamilton in the release. “This year, I’ve encouraged our staff to demonstrate grit—passion, pursuit, and perseverance — in their work. Grit, along with concentration on college- and career-readiness, will continue to drive positive outcomes for our district as well.”
Individuals interested in attending the Success Symposium are asked to register by emailing their full name, title, and company/affiliation to stamfordachieves@gmail.com.
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