2 Million Minutes in the Steel City

Yesterday, in collaboration with the Learning Policy Center at the University of Pittsburgh, ED in '08 kicked off our events in Pennsylvania with a screening of the documentary Two Million Minutes. Rachel Bird, our Senior Policy Analyst participated in a panel discussion about the film with Derrick Lopez, Pittsburgh Chief of High School Reform and Bill Isler, President of the Pittsburgh School Board.

Rachel tells me it was a full house with around 70 attendees including faculty, students, educators and other education community leaders. I was pleased to hear that there was a lot of discussion around raising expectations and the need for comprehensive K-12 education reform. I was also pleased to hear the audience understood that global competitiveness and the economic security of our nation depend on the education of our nation’s youngsters.

Likewise, without a strong education system, we can’t fix the problems of global warming or healthcare, and without a top-notch education system, we can’t come close to competing for jobs with other countries that spend more time studying and have more rigorous standards. 

Check out today’s coverage of the event in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.