***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NATION’S EDUCATION FUNDERS AND LEADERS TO GATHER IN WASHINGTON
TO FOCUS ON NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MOVEMENT

Annual OTL Summit to Focus on Specific Solution to Close Opportunity Gap

WASHINGTON (October 29, 2009) – Citing an urgent need to share critical advocacy strategies, funding approaches, and networks to build a state and national movement to provide all students an opportunity to learn, education leaders and advocates from across the nation will gather in Washington November 5 through November 7 for the annual Opportunity to Learn Summit.

Sponsored by several philanthropic partners including The Schott Foundation for Public Education, Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the OTL Summit builds on the successes of last fall’s first Opportunity to Learn Summit in Washington D.C. and the Schott Foundation’s Lost Opportunity (www.otlstatereport.org) study identifying how each state stands with regard to providing a high-quality public education to all students.

The Summit’s interactive sessions will provide a platform for philanthropic partners, grassroots community advocates, federal and state policymakers, youth organizers, and researchers to share current OTL efforts and plans for the future.  Focusing on both education quality and equity, the Summit offers a unique, powerful framework focused on the resource accountability that is the essential underpinning for systemic education reform.

The OTL Summit will kick off with a national town hall meeting on Thursday, November 5 featuring U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA); Dr. Jeannie Oakes of the Ford Foundation; and John Stocks of the National Education Association.  Moderated by CNN anchor Stephanie Elam, the town hall will start at 6:30 p.m. and run until 8:30 p.m.

Friday OTL sessions include presentations from Dr. John Jackson, President and CEO of the Schott Foundation; U.S. Education Assistant Secretary Russlyn Ali; Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University; Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Dr. Gail Christopher of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Dr. Sherece West of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation; and Charles Ogletree of Harvard University.  The full Summit program can be found at: https://schottfoundation.org/funds/otl/2009-summit/schedule.
ABOUT THE OTL SUMMIT

WHAT:2nd Annual Opportunity to Learn Summit
WHEN:Thursday, November 5 (6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
Friday, November 6 (9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
Saturday, November 7 (8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
WHERE:Crystal Gateway Marriott
1700 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia

Friday’s session will be capped by a Hot Schott Awards Gala and Dinner, recognizing the contributions the Education Law Center, Jonathan Kozol, National Women’s Law Center/MALDEF, ONE Massachusetts, Rev. John Vaughn, and Voices of Youth in Chicago Education have made to the opportunity learn movement.

About The Schott Foundation

Founded in 1991, The Schott Foundation for Public Education (www.schottfoundation.org) seeks to develop and strengthen a broad-based and representative movement to achieve fully resourced, high-quality preK-12 public education.