Obama Live Q & A at Education Nation Summit

On Monday, September 27th, at 8am ET, President Obama will sit down with Matt Lauer for a LIVE one-on-one interview about the state of education in America. You can submit a question for the President, and take a chance that your question might be asked during the interview.

"It's a real opportunity" for the White House to send a message on the importance of education, Roberto Rodriguez, a White House adviser on education issues, told executives assembled at the school division of the Association of American Publishers' fall meeting on Capitol Hill. "The president rarely grants half-hour interviews on one issue."

At Politics K-12, Allyson Klein reports that the interview "coincides with a whole bunch of other education-redesign hoopla that's been going on lately, including Michelle Rhee and other educators appearing on Oprah, and the release of shock-you-mentary Waiting for Superman."

Will all this action influence the debate on policies like the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Race to the Top?

This from NBC:

The two-day Education Nation Summit in New York City will shine a spotlight on one of the most pressing national issues of our time: Education in America.

The Education Nation Summit will be held in the rink space at Rockefeller Plaza on September 27th and 28th. During the Summit, policymakers, educators, members of the business community, and engaged citizens will come together for a series of panel sessions on the challenges of America's education system, the success stories, and the solutions.

The Summit's 12 panel sessions will present discussions on important topics in education such as workforce readiness, developing great teachers, technology and innovation, parental involvement, early education, higher education, and the politics of education.

Confirmed sessions at Education Nation include:

Job One
Preparing America’s students to compete in the global economyLeaders from a range of industries will weigh in on the current state of the U.S. labor market and the economic impact of an underprepared workforce.

The Innovation Gap
Bringing the technology revolution to the schoolhouseLeaders in technology and innovative educators discuss new models and methods of instruction and the use of cutting-edge technology to advance student learning and help close the achievement gap among ethnic and income groups.

Change Agents
How do we reinvent the status quo at all levels?We're spending more and getting less and less for it. But leaders in education are rethinking the definition of school and upending our traditional notions of delivering public education. During this discussion, a group of five of these innovators will focus on their unique approaches, the hurdles they’ve encountered, the results they have achieved, and what we can all learn by their examples.

The Path to the American Dream
A survey on post-secondary educationDespite boasting a higher education system noted for being the best in the world, in recent years the US has created a multi-tiered system that does not provide equal opportunities for betterment. Voices from
across the post-secondary landscape will discuss how to best provide access to a quality higher education for all Americans.

Kids Can't Vote
How can the politics of education put students first?Policy leaders, elected officials and district administrators will focus on education governance structures and explore the benefits of and challenges posed by localization.

Educating the Digital Generation
What are the roles and responsibilities of media in learning?Children from ages eight to eighteen spend an average of nearly 11 hours per day in front of a screen of
some kind, including televisions, computers and mobile devices. Media executives will think about how we can encourage students to use the tools of the digital world in ways that are productive to their educational development.

Good Apples
How do we keep good teachers, throw out bad ones, and put a new shine on the profession?Prominent voices discuss how American public schools can attract the best talent, evaluate teachers based on performance, nurture and support a rapidly changing teacher workforce, and pay and retain top talent in the profession.

A Fresh Start
Leveling the playing field before school beginsThe Federal government invests five dollars in Americans over the age of 65 for every one dollar invested in children under the age of 5. Leaders in the field will shine a light on the ways early education makes a deep and lasting difference in our lives and communities.

Shrinking the Achievement Gap
Is education the civil rights issue of our time?African-American and Latino students are years behind their White and Asian peers. Despite focus in recent years, the gap
remains. During this discussion, panelists will analyze what’s impeding progress and how to finally start to address the problem.

Study Abroad
What can we learn from the global leaders in education?As other countries have gained ground in educating their students, America’s public schools have stalled. We rank approximately 15th in Literacy, 24th in Math and 21st in Science behind Finland, Canada, South Korea, Ireland, Japan, Slovakia, Switzerland and the Czech Republic to name a few. We look to educators and policymakers from around the world to show us what we might be able to learn from effective strategies used by other countries.

The Parent and the Village
Fostering a learning culture in our communitiesParents and members of the community can play a vital role in helping to shepherd the learning journey. These community leaders will address important ways parents and other community members can get involved in the lives of their students to help support achievement.

New Orleans after Katrina
At the fifth anniversary of Katrina, the rebuilt New Orleans school district is an incredible study in the power of resilience and the possibility of starting anew. This panel will examine the advantages to the New Orleans school district of starting over post-Katrina, and whether the lessons learned there can be applied across the country.