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Dear Colleague,
It is my pleasure to invite you to attend A Forum on the Future of Hispanic Education in New York State to be held on Wednesday, March 20, 2002 from 8:30am to 4:30pm in the Chancellor's Hall in the NYS Education Department in Albany, New York, Pre-registration materials are included. The New York State Board of Regents, having acknowledged that "the importance of ensuring support for Hispanic Higher Education has become a national imperative" have proposed legislation to members of Congress and the federal administration to address unmet educational needs of the Hispanic community by establishing Pre K-16 programs linked to national goals for increasing Hispanic academic achievement. Furthermore, the NYS Board of Regents have stated that "Now more than ever, it is vital to the nation's economic future and social stability that we focus on the specific educational pipeline issues that impede Hispanic academic success and implement effective solutions to accelerate progress and eliminate the academic achievement gap." I share their concern and encourage you to participate in this important forum. The purpose of the Forum on the Future of Hispanic Education is to convene national, state and local educators and leaders to focus on the condition of Hispanics from Pre-K to higher education and to develop creative solutions to pressing issues. The keynote speaker will be Sarita E. Brown, President and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute and former Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. A panel presentation will follow, leading to individual discussion sessions where participants can offer ideas, action oriented approaches, and solutions that will be shared with the larger group. While the focus of the Forum will be on Hispanics in New York State, we anticipate that the proceedings will have exciting regional and national implications for educational policy, practice and research. I look forward to seeing you at what promises to be an exciting and important effort to address the needs of Hispanics in New York State. Sincerely,
Carlos E. Santiago, Ph.D. |
