Education Leaders to Discuss How Public Schools Can Do More With Less

Event: “Improving Productivity in Public Education,” a forum sponsored by the College of Education’s Institute for Public School Initiatives (IPSI) and the Austin-based Institute for Productivity in Education (IPE).

When: 9 a.m. 4 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16. The event is free and open to the public. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to news@ipsi.utexas.edu.

Where: Thompson Conference Center (Room 1.110), 2405 Robert Dedman Drive.

Background: The forum, now in its third year, provides an opportunity for national education leaders to convene and share the latest efficiency-in-education data, research and ideas. The event will be hosted by Darvin Winick, who is IPSI’s executive director, and Charles Miller, who is chairman of the IPE and a former chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents.

This year’s speakers represent a wide range of ideas and opinions about K-12 productivity nationwide. The featured panelists will be Texas legislative leaders as well as top national public education experts.

Speakers and panelists include:

• David Spence, Southern Regional Education Board
• Bryan Hassel, Public Impact
• Mark Hurley, Texas Education Accountability Project
• Tom Currah, Office of the Texas Comptroller
• The Honorable Dan Patrick, Texas Senate
• The Honorable Leticia Van de Putte, Texas Senate
• The Honorable James Aycock, Texas House of Representatives
• The Honorable Mark Strama, Texas House of Representatives
• Lori Fey, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
• Anita Givens, Texas Education Agency
• Marina Walne, EduStart
• Dean Nafziger, Building State Capacity and Productivity Center

“Education productivity is an urgent topic,” says Winick. “Policymakers and school leaders in Texas and across the country are confronted with the need to achieve more with fewer resources.”

“We need to measure K-12 productivity,” says Miller. “We must make school financial data clearer it’s just too confusing now. Providing policymakers and the public greater transparency about education spending leads to more local control. Texas should develop a financial accountability system that rewards productivity and ensures the flexible use of resources at the campus level for the best possible outcomes.”

IPSI aims to improve college readiness, access, and success through its innovative approaches and tools for Texas students, teachers, and administrators and by building awareness and alignment between P-12 and higher education. IPE strives to improve public education by promoting cost effectiveness and productivity, fostering research and public discussion, and recommending policy improvements.