GRADUATION PATHWAY SUMMIT

Investing In Our Future Workforce Now

TAMPA -- At 9:00 a.m., Thursday, October 22, 2009, at the Doubletree Hotel in Tampa, local business executives, educators, community impact organizations and government leaders will meet at Graduation Pathway Summit. At this conference, participants learn and discuss how to positively influence high school graduation rates in Hillsborough County.

Convened by the Children’s Board, the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County Public Schools and United Way of Tampa Bay, the Graduation Pathway Summit offers area business leaders vital information to keep teens focused on attending and graduating from high school while being ready for college or work.

Graduation Pathway addresses the issue as a community-wide challenge, not just that of schools or parents, and is designed for CEOs, COOs, senior executives, entrepreneurs and human resource directors.

Dr. Bill R. Daggett, president of the International Center for Leadership in Education, is the keynote speaker. His presentation, The New 3 R’s: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships focuses on the impact of high school graduation on the future Tampa Bay workforce.

Dr. Daggett has also collaborated with education groups in several countries, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Governors’ Association, and other national organizations. He is recognized worldwide for his proven ability to move education systems toward more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for students. He has assisted several states and hundreds of school districts, including Hillsborough, with their school improvement initiatives, many in response to No Child Left Behind and its demanding adequate yearly progress provisions.

Also presenting is MaryEllen Elia, superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools, the eighth largest school district in the United States with more than 189,000 students and almost 26,000 full-time employees. MaryEllen has been superintendent since July 2005 and draws on a deep reservoir of educational experience in her CEO responsibilities.

Dr. Daggett will facilitate a panel discussion on strategies proven to increase graduation rates. The prominent panel participants are Joe Follman, Executive Director of Learn & Serve Florida; Gordon Gillette, CEO of TECO & People’s Gas; Judy Nee, Executive Director of the National Afterschool Association; Joe Radelet, VP of Mentoring for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America; Anna Weselak, PTA Past National President.

Breakout sessions on these strategies include Service Learning, Parent Involvement, Mentoring, Out-of-School Time, and Ready for College or Work follow the panel. A complimentary luncheon provided by our sponsors follows with welcoming remarks by Mayor Pam Iorio, City of Tampa.

Graduation Pathway is free; attendees will receive lunch and program materials. Individuals interested in attending must register online prior to Monday, October 18th by going to www.UnitedWayTampaBay.org/graduationpathway.

Graduation Pathway is underwritten by State Farm Insurance, Humana and America’s Promise. Without their generous support, it would not be possible.