MEDIA ADVISORY
SATELLITE TOWN MEETING FEATURES A FORUM ON
IMPROVING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Under Secretary Hickok will host forum including administrators, educators and parents.

WHAT:

U.S. Department of Education's May Satellite Town Meeting
"Early Childhood Education: Ready to Read, Ready to Learn"

WHO:

U.S. Under Secretary of Education Gene Hickok
Dr. Susan Neuman, Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
Dr. Susan Landry, Director, Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education, University of Texas at Houston
Ronald Whitmore, Early Childhood Education Officer, Chicago Public Schools
Dr. Eric Smith, Superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 21, 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:

Children enter the world with many needs in order to grow: love, nutrition, health, social and emotional security, and stimulation in the important skills that prepare them for school success. Yet, children also enter the world with a great capacity to learn. Current research tells us that the first five years of life are key to a child's long-term development. When young children are provided an environment rich in language and literacy interactions and full of opportunities to listen to and use language constantly, they can begin to acquire the essential building blocks for learning how to read. Regardless of ethnic background or socioeconomic status, children who have sound early care and rich learning activities do better in school and in life.

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:

• In what ways can communities ensure that all children are given the opportunity to learn the fundamental skills needed to be successful in school?
• What do effective preschool and early literacy programs look like?
• What resources are available for early childhood teachers, parents, grandparents, and childcare providers on ways to prepare children to be successful in school?
• What does the medical community tell us about the latest research on brain development and its ties to early learning?

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, 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.

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) 401-1576