Georgia Southern’s College of Education hosts forum on testing and educational accountability
The College of Education at Georgia Southern University is partnering with Bulloch County to host “Common Concerns: Education, Testing and Accountability,” a one-day education forum on Oct. 31, to address the needs of the community for information on testing and educational accountability. The forum is open to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the College of Education’s auditorium, 275 College of Education Drive.
The forum is intended to provide a better understanding, in a nonpartisan setting, of testing and educational accountability to advance the learning experiences of students for parents, K-12 educators, students, local leaders and College of Education faculty. Maria Voles Ferguson, a national voice in strengthening schools, will provide the forum’s introductory address. Following Ferguson’s presentation, Barbara Christmas Golden, Ph.D., will moderate a discussion between panelists and the audience on the issues raised in the forum from a local perspective.
Maria Voles Ferguson is the executive director of the Center on Education Policy at George Washington University, a national, independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools, located in Washington, D.C. Ferguson also has served as vice president for policy at the Alliance for Excellent Education where she directed and managed the organization’s policy agenda, which provides leadership and information regarding the unique needs of high school students to Congress, the Administration, business leaders and communities nationwide and advocates for increased support for the nation’s secondary schools. Prior to joining the Alliance for Excellent Education, she served as director of the National School Boards Foundation, a nonprofit organization working in conjunction with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to strengthen and support school board leadership in local communities.
Panelists include Mike Royal, College of Education board member and seventh congressional district member on the Georgia Board of Education; Charles Wilson; superintendent for Bulloch County Schools; Thomas R. Koballa Jr., Ph.D., dean of the University’s College of Education; Michael Moore, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Curriculum, Foundations and Reading; and other representatives from Bulloch County Schools. State Sen. Jack Hill, R-Reidsville, will provide closing remarks. Panel moderator Golden is a longtime educator, having taught English in Tattnall County, and later serving as an elementary and high school principal in Johnson, Bulloch and DeKalb counties for many years. Golden has also been president of three Georgia education associations, including the Professional Association of Georgia Educators.
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 125 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu
Posted in Events, Press Releases
