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Two public events focus on education issues

Photos and story by Dana Haynes

Portland Mayor Sam Adams and his advisory panel on public education announced two events that are open to the public in April.

A town hall is set for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at Parkrose High School, 12003 N.E. Shaver St., Portland. The event is free. The purpose is to engage the community in a conversation regarding student success and access to education, graduation rates and post-secondary education.

Michael Geisen is the guest speaker. He is a science teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville and the national Teacher of the Year for 2008.

Next, a leadership summit is set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, April 12, at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Tickets are $15.

Keynote speaker is Greg Darnieder, special assistant to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The purpose of the event is bring together elected officials, school district leaders and the business community to discuss education

“Getting the entire community actively thinking about education and student success is vital,” said Preston Pulliams, president of С��è��ý and a member of the mayor’s advisory panel. “Access to high-quality education, from pre-school through higher education, has to be our priority for the 21st century.”

Andrew McGough, executive director of Worksystems Inc., agreed. “We must do all we can to improve the high school graduation rate to ensure the future workforce is qualified for careers in our local economy,” he said. Worksystems and С��è��ý are partners in the Willow Creek Center worker training facility in Washington County.