CTA's Urban Issues Conference, scheduled for Feb. 25-27 in San Diego, is designed to provide insight into the issues facing educators in urban areas.
The conference will feature a double dose of expertise on diversity. Presenting on Saturday is Dr. Ruby K. Payne, author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Presenting on Sunday is Dr. Harry P. Pachon, author of Closing Achievement Gaps: Improving Educational Outcomes for Hispanic Children.
Payne will explore ways to teach children from backgrounds of poverty and discuss "the hidden rules" of behavior, language and story structure, cognitive issues, discipline approaches that work, and instructional tools. A professional educator, she founded aha! Process Inc. in 1996 and serves as its president.
Pachon, a nationally recognized researcher, will discuss improving Latino educational opportunities, examine barriers to academic achievement, and identify policies and programs that afford educational excellence. He's president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, the country's premiere reseach institute on Latino issues, and serves as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
At the conference's closing session, CTA President Barbara E. Kerr will bring focus to CTA's policies and programs for urban associations.
Teams of teachers, support personnel and administrators are encouraged to attend.
The conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Diego's Mission Valley. It starts with a light meal and reception on Friday at 6:30 p.m., and ends with a buffet breakfast on Sunday. The registration fee of $85 includes those meals as well as breakfast and lunch on Saturday.
The CTA room rate is $110 plus tax for reservations made by Feb. 4 [call (800) 445-8667].
Transportation costs will reimbursed for five members per CTA UniServ Unit.
Pre-conference school visits will be offered during the day on Friday, including a look at the City Heights Collaborative, a partnership between the Price Charities, the San Diego Education Association and the San Diego Unified School District.
For a copy of the conference flier and downloadable registration forms, visit the CTA website and click on CTA-Sponsored Conferences and Events. For more information, contact the CTA Conference Coordination Center, P.O. Box 45544, San Francisco, CA 94145; (650) 552-5355.