Daisy Bates education summit

On May 17-19 the Fourth Biennial Daisy Bates Education Summit will be held in Alexandria, Va. at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. The summits are held in honor of former NAACP Arkansas State Conference President Daisy Bates, who advised the little Rock Nine during the integration of Central High School in 1957.

To attend the Daisy Bates Education Summit, contact John Jackson at (410) 602-5372. Advance registration of $100 for NAACP members and $150 for non-members must be received by May 1. On-site registration will be available at an additional charge. Special conference rates at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center are available until April 30 and may be made by calling (703) 845-1010 and identifying yourself as a conference participant.

The overall issue at this summit will be "closing the achievement gap, making sure that our students have access to a quality education," explains John Jackson, the NAACP's director of education, who has organized this year's gathering with Florida State Conference President Adora Obi Nweze. "We know what works in education-smaller class size, good leadership. Unfortunately, too many predominantly minority schools and institutions lack these components."

The summit aims to train parents, educators, NAACP branch members and others to evaluate how equitably their school districts allocate educational resources, and to take action to ensure that students of all colors are given the chance to perform at the same academic level. After all, as Jackson puts it, "you can't achieve educational excellence without equity."

The summit will connect parents and students to federal and national education and civil rights organizations. Presentations will be offered by the U.S. Coast Guard, the College Board, the National Employment Network, the National Education Association/American Federation of Teachers, and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Education Secretary Rod Paige has been invited to speak.

The summit, at the first National Education Awards Gala, will also honor parents, teachers, school districts, universities, and agencies, which have made progress in closing the achievement gap.