Marisa de la Torre, associate director for professional development, University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, discusses recent data examining school turnarounds in the nation’s third-largest school district. Recorded at EWA's March 24, 2012 seminar fon school turnarounds at the University of Chicago.

What lessons can be learned from the push to turn around schools in the nation’s third-largest school district? What is the union’s role in the efforts? Are classroom teachers noticing a chance in their school environment or in student achievement?

Moderator: Alexander Russo, blogger, This Week in Education

Panelists:

• Jennifer Husbands, Academy for Urban School Leadership
• Don Fraynd, turnaround officer, Chicago Public Schools
• Jesse Sharkey, vice president, Chicago Teachers Union
• Xian Barrett, Chicago Public Schools teacher and author

Recorded at EWA's March 24, 2012 seminar at the University of Chicago, "School Turnarounds: Are SIG Dollars Making a Difference?"

How does the charter school model factor into efforts to turn around low-achieving campuses? Why haven’t more charter management organizations signed on for school turnarounds? What questions should reporters be asking when faced with conflicting data on charter school performance?

Moderator: Scott Elliott, Indianapolis Star

Panelists: 

• Ursula Wright, interim president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
• Matt Troha, principal of Mastery Charter Schools Thomas Campus, Philadelphia
• Margaret Raymond, director, The Center for Research on Education Outcomes, Stanford University
• Gary Miron, professor, Western Michigan University

Is the Fourth Estate influencing the debate over teacher evaluations? Should media publish data, by name, on the estimated value that teachers add to student test scores? What questions should reporters ask about value-added measures and other issues in reforming teacher evaluation?

Moderator: Emily Richmond, public editor, Education Writers Association

Panelists:                                                       

• Diana Epstein, senior education policy analyst, Center for American Progress
• Jaime Sarrio, education reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Doug Smith, database editor, Los Angeles Times

What are the thorniest issues states are facing in developing and putting in place new approaches? How are they striking the balance between state leadership and local flexibility? How much are state policies being influenced by federal carrots and sticks?

Moderator: John Luczak, the Joyce Foundation

Panelists:

• Emily Barton, acting director of educator evaluation, Tennessee Department of Education
• Lisa Foehr, director of educator quality and certification, Rhode Island Department of Education 
• Rayne Martin, director, Office of Innovation, Louisiana Department of Education
• Audrey Soglin, executive director, Illinois Education Association

What is the evaluation process typically like for a classroom teacher? How do teachers think the process could best be changed so that the results would actually help them improve? Do teachers think emerging approaches to evaluation are useful and fair?

Moderator: Sara Stoelinga, senior director, Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago

Panelists:

• Stephanie Black, former classroom teacher in Washington, D.C.
• Alice Johnson Cain, national policy director, Teach Plus
• Jean Clements, president, Hillsborough (Fla.) Classroom Teachers Association
• Jeanette Marrone, charter school teacher with Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Los Angeles
• Sydney Morris, co-founder, Educators 4 Excellence

What lessons can be learned from initiatives around the country to revamp the way teacher performance is assessed? What role is federal policy playing in driving change? How are partnerships among districts, unions, and reformers playing out?

Moderator: Stephanie Banchero, National Education Reporter, Wall Street Journal

Panelists:

• Peter Cunningham, assistant secretary for communications and outreach, U.S. Department of Education
• Tim Daly, president, New Teacher Project
• Sandi Jacobs, vice president, National Council on Teacher Quality 
• Scott Thompson, director of teacher effectiveness strategy, District of Columbia Public Schools
• Rob Weil, director of field programs, American Federation of Teachers

From EWA's Nov. 4-5, 2011 conference for higher education reporters.

From EWA's Nov. 4-5 Higher Education Conference at UCLA.

Heather Vogell on the AJC Cheating Investigation