I would like to invite to an event that I am co-hosting this upcoming Tuesday (June 22, 2010) at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers (280 Grove Street, City Hall).

While Jersey City faces a tremendous number of challenges including taxes, crime, property value, and overall quality of life, more often than not those challenges are tied into a failing school system. This Tuesday, June 22nd, we have invited Whitney Tilson, who is one of the founders of Teach for America, to Jersey City to give his acclaimed presentation which was made into a documentary called "A Right Denied: The Need for Genuine School Reform" This is a powerful presentation from a national leader on educational reform. It will focus on the achievement gap in the United States and what steps can be taken to correct it in urban areas like Jersey City.

A panel discussion of statewide leaders including Rev. Reginald Jackson who is the executive director of The NJ Black Ministers Alliance and regarded as one of the 25 most influential people in NJ accordng to NJ Monthly Magazine; Ryan Hill the founder and CEO of the highly successful TEAM Charter Schools in Newark; and Whitney Tilson, will follow the presentation. This will allow for the community to engage directly with the experts on ways that we can work to improve our schools in Jersey City.

Mr. Tilson is often quoted as saying, ?the most important domestic issue facing our country is the mediocre performance ? and, in many cases, outright failure ? of many of our public schools.? His presentation illuminates the stark truth of that statement as well as those schools around the country that have achieved extraordinary success in educating even the most difficult-to-educate students. This is a challenge that we can take on in Jersey City with active leadership and an active community - I hope you can join me this Tuesday 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

This presentation is brought to you by The Council Office of Ward E and Shelley Skinner, Founder of Jersey City Families for Better Schools.

hero69 wrote:
I think the truth is that too many children don't want to learn and TOO many parents don't really care if their children do learn so the teachers get blamed (some rightly so, but not most)