MEDIA ADVISORY
SATELLITE TOWN MEETING FEATURES A DISCUSSION
OF THE PARENTAL CHOICE PROVISIONS IN "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND"
Under Secretary Hickok will host forum including administrators, educators and parents.

WHAT:

U.S. Department of Education's February Satellite Town Meeting "Charters, Magnets and Choice: Expanding the Options for America's Parents"

WHO:

U.S. Under Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok
Jeanne Allen, president, Center for Education Reform, Washington, D.C.
William Knoester, principal, Excel Charter Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Spence Korté, superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ellen Pulupa, parent, Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland
Bettye Saxon, education advocate, SBC Pacific Bell, Sacramento, California

WHEN:

Tuesday, February 19, 2002, 8-9 p.m. EST

WEBCAST:

http://www.connectlive.com/events/edtownmeetings/

SATELLITE COORDINATES:

C BAND: Satellite: Galaxy 4R; Transponder/Channel: 21C;
Orbital Location: 99 degrees West;
Downlink Frequency: 4120 mhz;
Polarity: Horizontal; Audio: 6.2 and 6.8

KU BAND:
Satellite: Galaxy 10R; Transponder/Channel: 24K;
Orbital Location: 123 degrees West
Downlink Frequency: 12180 MHz;
Polarity: Horizontal; Audio: 6.2 and 6.8

BACKGROUND:

"Parents, armed with options and choice, are best equipped to ensure that their children get the highest quality education possible." - U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige

The February Satellite Town Meeting, airing at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday, will be the second after the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. One of the key components of this historic law is expanding parental choice - giving parents the ability to make choices to ensure that their children receive the best education possible. Many believe that when parents can choose which schools their children attend, education will improve.

Continued support for charter schools, magnet schools and the new supplemental educational services provisions in No Child Left Behind will empower parents and ensure all children have access to quality learning opportunities. Expanding school choice and supplemental services will provide a substantial incentive for low-performing schools to ultimately improve.

The hour-long program will be available on various local and national cable TV systems-some of which carry the show live and others on a tape-delayed basis. This month's telecast, hosted by Under Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok, will explore:

• How school choice empowers students and parents.
• The impact of school choice on student academic achievement.
• How competition helps improve the public school system.
• What the research shows about the effectiveness of charter and magnet schools.
• How customization within a district (magnets, charters, academies, supplemental services) lead to greater school success.
• The role the business community plays in the development of effective choice options.
• Resources available through the Department and partner organizations for developing charters, magnets and supplemental educational programs.

The Satellite Town Meeting is a live, interactive television program on education reform. Produced monthly during the school year, in partnership with the National Alliance of Business, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Committee for Economic Development, the show provides practical how-to advice about community efforts to improve teaching and learning. Contributing sponsors include the Bayer Foundation, Target Stores, Riverdeep Interactive Learning and the Procter & Gamble Fund. Broadcast and cable partners include Discovery Communications, the Public Broadcasting Service, HeadsUp Network!, and Channel One. Use, duplication, and distribution of the Satellite Town Meeting is free and unrestricted.

Now in its ninth year of continuous production, the 2001-2002 season features several program enhancements and new services. The department provides live and archived web casts of the Satellite Town Meeting. Through a new interactive messaging feature, individuals viewing the live web cast will be able to send instant messages and questions for guests and Under Secretary Hickok. To view the webcast and learn more about other new program features, visit http://registerevent.ed.gov/downlink/NewServices.asp or call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

For a list of local and national downlink sites and broadcast partners, as well as a listing of future show dates for the season, see the Satellite Town Meeting Web site at http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/previous_schedule.html.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The program will be broadcast live from WETA studios at 3620 S. 27th St. in Arlington. A reception will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at WETA offices at 2775 S. Quincy St. in Arlington. Reporters are invited to attend.

CONTACT:

Jim Bradshaw (202) 401-2310