Experts available on education reform and improving schools

ANN ARBOR—Education reform has been well underway for years with the latest federal and state changes hitting classrooms just as reform becomes a top issue in the November elections.

The University of Michigan has many experts who can discuss current and past education reforms from the federal No Child Left Behind legislation to standardized testing, curriculum changes and more comprehensive reform efforts. They include:

Susan Neuman recently returned to U-M after serving two years as U.S. assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education in charge of implementing No Child Left Behind. She is a professor of educational studies, directed the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement and has done extensive research on early childhood policy and curriculum. She can be reached at (734) 647-6940 or (734) 615-4655 or sbneuman@umich.edu

For more on Neuman, visit: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/soe/faculty&mode=single&recordID=51090

Maris Vinovskis, the University’s Bentley Professor of History who advised the U.S. Education Department during three presidential administrations, has studied the history of federal involvement with education dating back to the 1960s. Vinovskis, who is also a professor in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Center for Political Studies, has worked on education issues for both Democratic and Republican administrations in Washington. He is available to speak with reporters on federal efforts to improve education and the history of education reform. He can be reached at (734) 763-3407 or e-mail him at vinovski@umich.edu

For more on Vinovskis, visit: http://ipumich.temppublish.com/public/experts/ExpDisplay.php?ExpID=788

Brian Rowan, an education professor, is wrapping up the latest stage of a six-year, large-scale, longitudinal study of the design, implementation and effectiveness of three of America’s largest comprehensive school reform initiatives. Rowan has also done research into the growing for-profit education industry. He can be reached at (734) 764-7470 or browan@umich.edu

For more on Rowan, please visit: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/soe/faculty&mode=single&recordID=50945

Percy Bates, is an education professor and director of Programs for Educational Opportunity (PEO), which works with school districts throughout the Great Lakes region to help improve education quality for under-served minorities. PEO is the first of 10 federally funded equity centers established in the 1970s to help school districts across the nation desegregate and support districts in dealing with issues related to race, gender or national origin. The team is available to work with local districts throughout the region. He can be reached at (734) 763-9910 or pbates@umich.edu

For more on Bates, visit: http://ipumich.temppublish.com/public/experts/ExpDisplay.php?ExpID=48

Stuart Rankin, an education professor who spent 37 years as a top administrator for the Detroit Public Schools, works with people who are going back to school to seek new skills so they can change careers and has done extensive research on curriculum. He is one of the program coordinators for a one-year crash course helping adults earn a master’s degree with certification and training so they can become teachers. He works directly with schools in Detroit and can address most issues impacting urban education. He can be reached at (734) 647-4723 or srankin@umich.edu

For more on Rankin, visit: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/soe/faculty&mode=single&recordID=50930

Roger Goddard, an education professor, is helping establish a new U-M program allowing students to receive a master’s in both educational administration and business to address the growing number of new jobs being created through charter schools and new for-profit business-run schools, as well as other occupations requiring both educational and business expertise. E-mail him at rgoddard@umich.edu.

For more on Goddard, please visit: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/soe/faculty&mode=single&recordID=50788&nextMode=list