Western Reserve Public Media to Air Gov.
Ted Strickland’s “Conversations on Education” Akron
Forum on July 25
KENT, Ohio — July 18, 2008 — Western Reserve Public Media will air the second of Gov. Ted Strickland’s
12 “Conversations on Education” on Western Reserve Public Media
on Friday, July 25 beginning at 10 p.m. Conversation on
Education Forum will include 60 minutes of Gov. Strickland’s July 23
forum at North High School in Akron, followed by a half-hour NewsNight
Akron analysis of how the governor’s plans might affect the
Akron area.
Participating on the panel are NewsNight Akron reporter Jody Miller
as host; Akron Beacon Journal reporter Stephanie Warsmith; NewsNight
Akron host, WKYC-TV reporter and concerned parent Eric Mansfield;
and Joe Siegferth, an associate with Summit Education Initiative.
Gov. Strickland also will hold a “Conversations on Education” forum
at Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center on Sept.
3. Western Reserve Public Media will use a similar broadcast format to air coverage
of that forum on Friday, Sept. 5 from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Gov. Strickland’s “Conversations on Education” are
being held throughout every region of Ohio and will focus on the
six principles for education reform that he laid out in his State
of the State address last February. They will also focus on specific
policy ideas for making sure Ohio schools are among the best in
the world and meeting the needs of every child. All 12 town hall
meetings will broadcast live or be taped for later broadcast by
Ohio’s public television stations.
At each regional forum, Gov. Strickland will give local citizens
the opportunity to share their thoughts and vet proposed ideas
on creating a system of education that is innovative, personalized
and linked to economic prosperity in Ohio. The meetings will be
broadcast on local PBS stations and streamed live on the Web at
conversationsoneducation.org. Local citizens and educators not
attending the event will be invited to gather for watch parties
and offer feedback within their watch party and online in response
to the governor’s meetings.
“We look forward to hearing our community’s thoughts
on how to build an education reform plan from the ground up,” said
Trina Cutter, president and CEO of Western Reserve Public Media, “and
we are eager to be a part of implementing that plan.”
A second round of education forums will be held later in the fall
of 2008 and focus on how to properly finance a truly reformed system
of education. For more information on Gov. Strickland’s “Conversations
on Education,” visit www.conversationoneducation.org or contact
his office.
About Western Reserve Public Media
Western Reserve Public Media (formerly PBS 45 & 49) is owned and operated
by Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc., a private, nonprofit
corporation and consortium of Kent State University, The University of Akron
and Youngstown State University. A trusted community resource, Western Reserve Public Media
uses the power of commercial-free television and related services to enrich
the lives of people through high-quality programming and educational services
that teach, illuminate and inspire. The only broadcast television service that
reaches all of northeast Ohio, Western Reserve Public Media is available to 1.8 million
households and 4.4 million people in the Cleveland and Youngstown designated
market areas. In an average week, over 500,000 households tune in. Through
funding from eTech Ohio, the organization provides K-12 educational technology
training and instructional television programming to 21,500 educators and 256,700
students in eight Ohio counties. For more information about Western Reserve Public Media,
visit www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org or call 1-800-554-4549.
