150 leaders to take part in Arizona Town Hall
Arizona Republic
April 27, 2008

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The challenges of recruiting and retaining quality teachers is the focus of the 92nd Arizona Town Hall being held today through Wednesday in Prescott.

About 150 Arizona community leaders will participate in the "Who Will Teach Our Children?" forum, which aims to propose solutions for improving Arizona's ability to attract the best educators.

Gov. Janet Napolitano and Arthur E. Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, will address Arizona Town Hall participants at noon on Monday, Levine is a past president and professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Marc Tucker, founder, president and chief executive officer of the National Center on Education and the Economy, will speak Monday evening on the connections between educational policy and economic strength. Tucker created the first Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce and is a founder and vice chair of the board of directors of America's Choice.

The University of Arizona College of Education, under the leadership of Dean of Education Ron Marx and Professor Walter Doyle, has prepared a detailed background report to prepare participants for substantive discussions and consensus-based policy recommendations.

After the conference, the Town Hall's recommendations will be available on its Web site on May 9. The recommendations will be combined with the background report into a final report and formally published in July.

For more information about the Arizona Town Hall, visit www.aztownhall.org or call 602-252-9600.