Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hosts Unprecedented Education Summit in Washington, D.C.
Global education leader demonstrates its commitment to partner with educators nationwide to obtain Race to the Top funds and drive twenty-first century reform and innovation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — February 19, 2010 — Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will host a first-of-its-kind Race to the Top education summit today and tomorrow, February 19–20, at the Gaylord Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. The event is called, “2010 Policy Initiatives: Impact on 21st Century Learning.” Company leaders and authors will collaborate with administrators, school district leaders and government officials from 20 states and Puerto Rico to identify the most effective policy, reform strategy and investments for their schools in the twenty-first century.
“This summit will reassure educators that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is their most committed and able partner in education reform,” said Barry O’Callaghan, Chief Executive Officer of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “As a twenty-first-century learning company, we are uniquely qualified not only to increase the longevity of our customers’ investments in education solutions, but also to help states leverage their current resources to navigate ARRA funding opportunities and modernize education policies and initiatives.”
Day one of the summit will include a series of keynote speakers, including former U.S. Secretary of Education, William Bennett. Other speakers include Sam Chaltain, author and National Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy, as well as Dr. Kylene Beers, a Senior Reading Researcher in the School Development Program at Yale University. Panel discussions featuring several of the Company’s acclaimed education authors as well as State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) Representative Douglas Levin, National Governors Association (NGA) Representative Ilene Berman, and Microsoft’s Allyson Knox will also follow. Speakers will discuss assessment and accountability, twenty-first-century skills and methods for restoring low-performing schools, technology in education, the Common Core State Standards initiative and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Day two will integrate the summit’s themes into hands-on workshops among attendees, speakers, panelists and grant writers. Workshops will include discussions on data systems; teacher quality and leadership; and common assessments and post-secondary work readiness.
Those who do not attend the summit may take advantage of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s resource website, www.hmhstimulus.com, which provides essential ARRA funding information and details about how to optimize the Company’s flexible, innovative and comprehensive education solutions.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world’s largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.
CONTACT:
Josef Blumenfeld
Vice President, Communications
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5432
josef.blumenfeld@hmhpub.com