CONTACT: Jim Bradshaw (202) 401-2310

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

WHAT:

U.S. Department of Education's February Satellite Town Meeting "Teacher Quality: Ensuring Excellence in Every Classroom"

WHO:

U.S. Under Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok
Dave Gordon, Superintendent, Elk Grove Unified School District, Elk Grove, CA
Cheryl Krehbiel, Teacher, Broad Acres Elementary School, Silver Spring, MD
Eugenio Longoria, Teacher, Bell Multicultural High School, Washington, DC
Ruth Nathan, Instructor and Researcher, University of California at Berkeley, CA
Jeff Davis, Field Director, Call Me MISTER Program; Clemson, SC (via satellite)

WHEN:

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

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: Horizonal; Audio: 6.2 and 6.8

BACKGROUND:

"The effectiveness of all education reform eventually comes down to a good teacher in a classroom."

- President George W. Bush

The March Satellite Town Meeting, airing at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday, is the third broadcast since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. Just as children need to be ready to learn to read when they enter school, teachers need to be ready to teach when they enter the classroom. Over the next decade, school districts will need to hire 2.2 million additional teachers. States and school districts will face the challenge of attracting a greater number of people to the teaching profession while also ensuring teacher quality. A survey by the Department of Education found that fewer than 36 percent of current teachers feel "very well prepared" to implement curriculum and performance standards. To ensure that every classroom has a highly qualified teacher, states and districts around the country are using innovative programs to address immediate and long-term needs, including alternative recruitment strategies, new approaches to professional development, financial incentive programs, and partnerships with local universities.

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 U.S. Under Secretary of Education Gene Hickok, will explore:

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 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 are free and unrestricted.

The Department provides live and archived Webcasts of the Satellite Town Meeting. Through a new interactive messaging feature, individuals viewing the live Webcast 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".